


Locked Up

by Lananiuska



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2020-09-23 09:31:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 80,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20337928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lananiuska/pseuds/Lananiuska
Summary: Caught at the wrong side of the law, Regina is a problematic inmate who can't seem to stay out of trouble, Robin, one of the guards that works at the prision is the one who almost always has to deal with her... and when real trouble comes for her, he's the only one who will be able to help.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I got the idea for this story after watching the TV series Vis a Vis. Parting from that, the story is going to take place in a prison with Regina as an inmate and unfortunately for her, it won't be a nice place to be. There will be some subjects that could be triggering to some people so I have to warn you about possible violence, abuse, lots of swearing, sex, drugs, self-harm and sexual harassment to name a few (not all of them will fall on Regina or Robin). Also, it can a bit dark when it comes to the characters and they will all be messing up a lot so please bear with me.
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is just an intro to set the premise and no, I don't know anything about prison so everything here could be completely inaccurate. Other than that enjoy!

**INTRO**

If there was a thing that could really change your life in every imaginable way, it was being convicted and sentenced for murder. Or attempted murder in Regina's case, but because apparently there was no distinction when it came to intention in the eyes of the judge who passed the ruling, she was not even going to bother pointing out that they were two very different things.

It didn't matter anyway, what the judge said, what she did or didn't do… it was all irrelevant once you were locked in; because once you were serving your sentence, the only thing that mattered was how you coped with it all. How you survived.

That was one of the most significant changes of life behind bars, acquiring this... brutal sense of survival that would make you do anything and everything to keep afloat. Then there was getting used to have people telling you what to do and when to do it, there was living with a constant chip on your shoulder and of course, the hardest of them all, learning that there were times when it was better to swallow your pride and just go with the flow.

That last one she learned the hard way and she was still struggling to get a full hang on it, but as it happened, it was an essential if you didn't want to have problems… especially with the guards.

But then again maybe that was her problem, that some days she woke up not giving a damn about who she pissed off and what kind of trouble she could get from it. Rivalries with other inmates, solitary confinement courtesy of the prison guards or even more time added to her sentence; whatever the consequences she wouldn't care, after all she was already carrying a life imprisonment on her back so it wasn't like she had anything to loose.

And people who didn't have anything to loose rarely harbored any fear of what was to come.

Besides she wasn't in Disney where she needed to play nice, nooo… she was in prison and in there what ruled was the law of the jungle, meaning that if you didn't stomp your feet every now and then you were going to end up eaten alive.

As she saw it, it was either being the prey or the hunter and she was in for a long time to let herself be subjected.

So yes… overall prison definitely changed your life and it changed you. From your psyche to your routine and the boundaries you were willing to cross…

It was like she once read, the only way to escape the abyss was to look at it, gauge it, sound it out and descend into it… and she, oh she definitely descended into it… now her next step was to escape it.

**XxXxXxXxX**

Robin Locksley has been on his third cup of coffee that the day when he received the call from the warden's assistant to show into the office as soon as he could. He has also been thirty minutes away from ending a double shift that actually felt like a triple so the call wasn't exactly well received.

He was tired as fuck and the shitty coffee he was pouring into his system would only fuel him enough for the drive home. Meaning that whatever it was that Blanchard wanted, it better be quick.

Of course, he didn't say that on the phone nor did he mention it once he was finally at her office, first because the woman was his boss and saying that would be out of place and second, because curiosity won over him as soon as he walked in.

It was just that the image that received him when he stepped into the office was that of his superior and Warden of Storybrooke's Women Penitentiary, Mary Margaret Blanchard, sitting behind her desk while another woman, a blonde he has never seen before sat across from her, both apparently waiting for him.

"Locksley," His boss received him with a peculiar smile he couldn't quite recognize as one of her usual cheery ones. "Why don't you sit down for a while?"

Narrowing his eyes in Blanchard's direction, Robin did as he was told, taking a seat right beside the blonde.

"Umm, so this is agent Emma Swan from the FBI and… she will be working in this facility for the time being…"

"Okay." He said tentatively as he shook the woman's hands. "And when you say working here you mean it as in…?"

"Undercover. You have an inmate that's right in the middle of one of our biggest cases and we believe she is withholding a lot of intel that could help us."

The one who answered has been Swan. He looked at her as she said that and then his eyes lowered to the documents resting over the desk.

It was Regina Mills' file.

"Mills..." He said, his curiosity picking up. He even reached for the papers, eyeing them over as the tip of his tongue pushed against the inside of his upper teeth. "And what does any of this has to do with me?"

Clearing her throat, Mary Margaret leaned forward, her hands resting over the wooden desk. "Agent Swan is going undercover as an inmate in our prison. Her assignment will be hers only but we are going to fully cooperate however we can and I think it's obvious she's going to need someone from our team down there for whatever she may need. It has to be someone trustworthy and who won't spill the beans and congratulations, you are our man."

For a few seconds, Robin just stared at his boss straight in the eye, trying to dig out of them how serious she was. He has been hoping to get a _sike_ from her so that he could laugh it off and get the hell out of there, but all he saw on his superior's stare was an apologetic glint.

"Bloody fantastic." He scoffed, running a hand down the growing stubble taking over his jaw because the last thing he needed in his life right in that moment was getting in the middle of a Federal investigation.

"I will also need you to tell me everything you know about Regina Mills."

Blowing out a breath, Robin placed the file in the same spot it has been when he picked it up.

What could he say to that? He knew Regina Mills as well as any other person in that prison, which was basically none at all.

"I'm pretty sure you'll learn more reading that file that listening to what I know about her, because I don't know anything other than what's there. She has collected quite a few shots, she's been in solitary quite a lot as well and she usually wakes before the siren for her shower. Other than that…" He shrugged, trying to remember if he has overheard the woman talking about something specific.

He hadn't.

As far as he knew, she kept mostly to herself and rarely mingled with inmates other than her cellmates.

"I memorized everything that's on that file already. She came into this prison ten months ago, convicted of attempted murder. She pleaded innocent and alleged it was self-defense, but still she got a life sentence for shooting twice this man right here, Mr. Gold." Emma said, taking out of her bag a picture of a middle age man getting out of a car. "Now Gold has been under our eye for years; we know he is on top of the trafficking movement all over the east coast, from drugs to people, contracts… everything you could ever imagine as well as extortion and probably fraud, but we haven't been able to pin anything on him yet."

Robin nodded. "Yeah I remember the trial and all the media frenzy…" As well as he remembered seeing Mills all over the news as numerous reporters tried to get a statement out of her. She never said anything though, she just walked with her chin held up high, her designer's sunglasses in place, fancy clothes that looked expensive as fuck and her dark hair as well as her make up always impeccable.

Her case has been all over the news; Gold was a very powerful man when it came to business and she has been an associate of his or something like that… that's why he remembered, because of that and because he has been surprised at the judge's ruling.

It has been ridiculous because who really got a life sentence for shooting someone and not even killing him?

So yes, he recalled all that… he also remembered noticing how he has never seen someone look so stoic after getting such a sentence. She didn't flinch or cry or reacted on any kind of way. She just took it as it was.

He has found that odd and when they finally brought her in he made sure to keep an eye on her, first because he has been low-key awestruck by her beauty once live and in person and second, because as head of security, he has been sure her high-profile case as well as that way she had of looking at everyone as if they were way below her was going to get her in trouble with the other girls sooner rather than later.

He has been right, and before the week was over she got into a fight that sent her straight into solitaire.

After that his attention has shifted to his own personal issues and Regina became just another inmate. She got in trouble for time to time and he himself has written her a few shots, noticing that she was not stoic anymore but that she started to shape her behavior to one more unruly and even defiant.

He guessed it worked for her as the fights with other inmates became less and less the more claws she showed, but she became kind of a pain in the ass for all the guards in Block B.

"We are almost positive that her sentence is what it is because Gold has the court house on his payroll. That's the word on the street. There's also a strong rumor than before the dispute that lead to their confrontation, Regina embezzled a lot of money from him and what's worse for the son of a bitch, that she has a pen drive with hundredths of pages that can incriminate Gold and all his shady associates and that right there is what we need, we need to get that information as soon as possible before Golds gets it himself."

"And you think that walking in there will make her tell you all that info you want?" He chuckled, thinking that this Emma was in for quite a long journey.

He didn't know Regina that well, but he highly doubted it was going to be easy as that.

"No, I know she won't. She's a brick wall, so I'll have to do whatever it takes to get it out of her. I'll try to befriend her, if that doesn't work I'll beat it out of her and if she still won't talk I'll drug her and make sing."

"Okay so this… I don't think I can allow you to do the last two." Mary Margaret said with a nervous chuckle as Swan just smiled. "I won't put my personnel to stand aside and let you abuse out inmates either."

"I hope it won't come to that. But if I don't do it myself then someone else will, because last I heard is that Gold has now someone here under his payroll to get the information too. It's probably another inmate and trust me, she won't try to befriend her first."

"Oh boy." Blanchard sighed. Robin just checked the hour on his phone and saw that it was his time to clock out.

"So there's that and there's also the fact that we believe Mills is up to something. The woman is cunning and if she actually has the information and the money, she has the means to do a lot of things even if she's in here. Her sister… we've been keeping an eye on her entire family but this woman disappeared from our radar just after she came here to visit so there's quite a chance Mills is already laying her cards and we need to see what hand she has. That's why I need to know everything about her. Who does she talk to, when, how, is she dealing, is she drugging herself, how many tines she uses the bathroom and how many hours of sleep is she getting? I need to know it all."

"Well, she has come out clean in all her tests so I don't think she's taking drugs."

"So when are you going in?" Robin asked, getting a little impatient. It was getting late and his body was resenting the lack of sleep.

"She's going in now, so after she goes through the whole process I need you to take her inside. I know there are actually two currently spaces available in Mill's cell so there's that."

Groaning a little and shifting on his chair, Robin closed his eyes while shaking his head. There were no spaces available in that cell and Blanchard knew that but hey, what could he do? It was his boss and the feds so he would do what needed to be done.

He only knew that was definitely going to need another coffee for this.

Now, it took Swan another hour and a half to be ready, after all she went through the whole process as any other inmate. By the time Robin was walking her to Mills' cell in Block B he was a bit cranky.

"So what can you tell me about Regina Mills that could help me get a head start?"

"She won't talk. She's not exactly the friendly type."

"Crap, does that means I'll have to go straight into roughening her up?"

Unable to hold it, Robin snorted. "Good luck with that, I mean don't let shorty over there fool you, she's not as defenseless as she looks. When she came in others tried to rough her up too and she surprised them by fighting back. I don't know how, some guards say she has a black belt in some kind of martial arts crap or something like that, but the thing is that she has left quite a few broken noses, a dislocated shoulder and yes, even a fractured humerus."

"Really? Hmm just how I like them, fiery. They break harder like that. Anyway, what else is there to know, what about the cellmates?"

"For now it will be you, Mills and Mal Eficent. This one, she's a bit unstable at times but she's harmless. She used to be stoned all of the time but since we put her in the same cell as Mills she has been clean."

"So Regina got herself a girlfriend?"

Robin hummed, his lips twisting as he thought about the question asked. "Nah, I don't really think so. They are very protective of each other but I don't think they have that kind of relationship. I think Mal is with Ruby Lucas now but I could be wrong, these women get in and out of relationships so fast that you can't keep track."

"Interesting…"

"I'm ending my shift now, you think you'll be okay in there?"

Chuckling, Swan lifted her shoulders. "I know how to handle these bitches, relax."

They didn't talk the rest of the way, first because he didn't feel like it and also because he was told that she was to be treated as any other inmate and well, if there was anything he knew was that he didn't want to get involved with prisoners. He has seen how messy that could be so he rather keep his distance.

It was only when he was in front of the infamous cell that he spoke. "Emma Swan, cell 316."

As soon as he said that, he saw movement from inside the cell and immediately Mal Eficent jumped from her bunk bed. She was wild looking as ever and the grin on her face spoke volumes of what she was thinking.

"We're not taking any more cellies, no vacancies in here."

"There actually are two vacancies so move out of the way." He said, his tone still and firm.

Mal grunted, moving aside and Swan took the chance to walk in. Robin did as well, his eyes searching and finding the woman of the moment, Regina Mills herself.

She was sitting crossed legged over the top bunk bed on the left, watching in silence as Emma put her things on the lower bunk to the right.

"That's Ursula's bed." Mills said as Eficent agreed. "The other one's Ruby's so like Mal said, no vacancies here. Move her to another cell."

Robin's eyebrow shoot up at the brunette's tone. "Swan stays. When Sea or even Lucas get out of solitary then we'll find them another cell."

"No, no, no, no… you can't do that. Take Blondie out." Mal said, standing in front of Emma and swirling a strand of her hair around her forefinger. "Ursula sings so pretty, can you sing?"

Robin watched that little interaction, but because he knew Mal was no threat whatsoever for the FBI agent, he just focused on the way Regina gracefully climbed down her bed so that she could stand in front of him.

"There are like a dozen cells with actual vacancies, pick one and take this Taylor Swift wannabe there."

Not really in the mood to deal with her attitude but unable to forget what Emma implied when it came to the woman being there just because this Gold bribed the judge into giving her a life sentence, Robin tried to keep his tone neutral even when he was about to throw a menace.

"Another complain and I'll write some shoots for each one of you."

Regina scoffed, Mal slapped her own face.

"Are you going to add more time for my sentence as well so I get forever and a day? Write your damn shot, but Blondie is not staying here."

"Regina…" Mal hissed. "They'll take you to hole again."

Robin pursed his lips as he looked down on the woman. She wasn't that tall to begin with but she acted like she was seven feet height, she was even staring right into his eyes, glare blazing and lips quirked into an annoyed snarl.

He took that moment to think that yes, rotten attitude an all the woman was pretty. Ten months in that hellhole and the natural glow hasn't faded yet; her skin was clear and smooth, the warm chocolate of her eyes were beautifully framed with her long eyelashes and her rosy colored lips had no right to look so inviting.

Not that he meant to let those thoughts leave his brain; unjustly there or not, Mills was a prisoner and he was the guard, meaning that he couldn't harbor any kind of interest for her.

"How about I take that nice job you have at the library and put you in maintenance with Whale in infirmary. A lifetime cleaning vomit and blood sounds like a long time."

Regina clenched her jaw but after a few more seconds of fixing her eyes on his, she flashed him a sly grin, her tongue running over her lips ever so slowly. "Fine, she stays, but don't expect Miss Taylor Swift to come out unscratched once Ursula is back. You know how territorial she is." With that said, Regina climbed back into her bed. "By the way, you're an asshole."

"Oh but he's so pretty." Mal said as he clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth.

"That's a shot for you, Mills. A couple more and you'll join your friends in solitary. Maybe I should move all your things there and make that your permanent home. Who knows, maybe that way you'll learn to keep that smart mouth of yours shut." He said, turning a blind eye at the way she flipped him off.

He made as if he didn't even see her. That was life as a prison officer, you had to keep firm and even throw a few threats to keep some of the woman there at bay but you couldn't be totally authoritarian… at least he wasn't.

Besides, he couldn't keep his brain from going around the possibility that this woman was there unjustly. It was messed up and that stupid part of him that was too empathetic kind of wanted to break free.

Not that he could do anything about it so clearing his throat, he sent her one last glance. "Swan better stay safe in here, no monkey business you two."

Then, turning around he left the cell with the intention of getting out of there and straight towards his apartment.

He just hoped that by the time his next shift started, that Swan would have already gotten all the info she needed without using violence, because he honestly didn't know which side he should take if all hell broke loose in that cell…

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

It was funny how fast the human mind could get used to new situations…

That was what Regina Mills was thinking as she sat on the thin mattress of her top bunk bed, her teeth compulsively chewing on the inside of her bottom lip until leaving it raw.

Now true, maybe it wasn't funny in a rolling on the ground laughing kind of way, but more like the whole thing edging in wry amusement… because there she was… one day living her best life, doing everything she ever wanted to do and then all of a sudden she has been thrown in a cell to rot; and yeah, as if it was nothing, before she even noticed she was used to all the changes this new life implied.

From lobster, caviar and champagne, to mashed potatoes, dubious looking casseroles and lukewarm water; from traveling the world to being limited to two hours a day outside and from wearing Gucci and all the designer clothes that were left in her walking closet to being forced to wear the same somber uniform as all the other inmates.

Black, which at least was a color she favored, but still, a drag when everyone around her had to wear the same damn thing.

Regardless, she more or less got used to all those downgrades. Sure, she didn't necessarily love it, but after ten months in that hellhole she resigned herself with the changes. After all she was well aware she wasn't staying at the Ritz but in Storybrooke Women's Penitentiary and it was no secret that the place was anything but accommodating.

But if there was something she still struggled to accept, something that irked her to no end and left her skating in one of her infamous sour moods, it was having to bite her tongue and do whatever the guards told her to do.

She really, really hated it and every time one of them ended up bossing her around or menaced her in any kind of way, her mind started scheming with plans of how to get the hell out of that place once and for all.

'_Soon_.'

She thought to herself as her fingernails inadvertently dug into the palm of her hands. Soon, or so she hoped…

"So what are you here for?"

Taken out of her trance and her dreams of freedom, Regina's eyes lowered down to where Mal was apparently trying to start a conversation with the newbie and she had to blow out a sigh of exasperation.

"You know you don't have to talk to every single person that crosses your way, right?"

"Oh I know, I just want to get to know our new celly."

Regina didn't care to listen to the new one talk because no matter what Locksley said, there was no way the blonde was going to stay in that cell once both Ursula and Ruby came out of the hole. She knew her girls well enough and they were not going to take the relocation as good news.

Meaning, that Locksley himself would have to deal with the mess he created by putting them back where they belong, because those two were surely going to make a big issue out of the whole thing.

She kind of felt sorry for the Swan one, because she didn't know what was in store for her.

Now, as of Locksley… she was mad as hell that the man threw her way that menace of putting her to work at infirmary because that was probably the only way to really get to her… and she hated that he knew it.

Adding to her sentence meant nothing since she was in for life and throwing her at the hole didn't have on her the same effect it had on the others. No, she liked being on her own because it gave her time to think so solitary didn't really scare her.

But the job thing at the library? That was a thing she couldn't loose.

Not now not ever… that would ruin everything so she guessed she had to be glad that at least it has been Locksley the one who put the menace out there and that things were left at that, as a threat. Luckily, the blue-eyed man was the lesser evil out of all the guards of Block B; he wasn't a pervert like Jones, a creep like Whales, a complete asshole like Scarlett or a stupid bitch like Mulan.

He was okay most of the time even if he sure knew how to be a jerk when he wanted to.

He was a good looking jerk so at least that was something. And really, it wasn't like she was crushing on the man or anything, but after ten long months of being locked up in a women's prison, she needed to at least look to keep her mind from completely loose it's edge and Locksley wasn't bad to look at.

He was better than the others so she wasn't even going to apologize for it.

He was tall, an attribute she liked very much in a man; he also had nice hair, stunning eyes and she liked the strong outline of his jaw. The accent was a plus too and he carried well that uniform… so she would only have to guess that underneath those clothes he had a nice body.

So yeah, checking him out was entertaining, but sometimes, when she was really bored and her eyes happened to catch a glimpse of him walking around, she liked playing the '_guess his name' _game and she would try to put a whole name on him.

R. Locksley… was what his name tag said and she just liked wondering what the R stood for. Sure, she knew she could ask any of the inmates because the guard names were not really a secret, but what would be the fun in that?

Was in a simple Robert or something more exotic like Rafael or Rodrigo, maybe even Randal…

"I was moving a few pounds of coke into the country and my contact in TSA ruined it all. He promised they were not going to use the dog on me and they fucking did. How about you?"

"Meh," Mal shrugged. "I stole a car. A police car, they had to chase me all over three states, all until I ran out of gas. I was high as hell so I don't know what I was thinking."

Unable to hold it, Regina snorted. She has heard Mal tell at least a dozen versions of how she ended up in jail and they ranged from the most simple to the most ridiculous.

This one was right in the middle.

"How about you?" Emma asked and when Regina realized she was talking to her, she arched an eyebrow. "Your face looks familiar."

"Look at this one, Mal, five minutes in here and she already thinks I want to chit chat." Groaning in annoyance, she ran her tongue over the abused spot on the inside of her lips. "Listen, Taylor-"

"It's Emma."

"Yeah, well I don't care what your name is. The thing is this, we are not friends, we won't be friends so for the short time you'll be in this cell just stay out of my way."

Emma scoffed, running a hand through her hair. "Okay… we'll have it your way then."

"Don't mind her much, she didn't like me either when she got here."

"I still don't like you." Regina added, not really meaning it because in the time she has been there, Mal became the one she person she could count with for everything. Ursula and Ruby too, but Mal was on top of the list.

"She's bluffing, she does that a lot. She actually loves me but she would rather die than admit it." Her friend whispered loud enough so that Regina could hear. "We are each other's persons, I would say we are Thelma and Louise but neither of us wants to be Thelma so let's just say she's the Christina to my Meredith so you know, don't piss her off or I'll have to mess your pretty face and that would be such a shame."

"Okay…"

"Mal, you really need to shut up now." Regina said with a roll of her eyes, but her lips did curve with the hint of a smile.

The rest of the day went by without anything exciting happening. It was like her new motto dictated, same shit different day because in prison, everything was a routine.

They lazed off a bit more in the cell, they went to eat and then after a quick shower they played a couple of hands of casino, a card game she learned from her mother long ago. Then, when the lights were cut they went to sleep.

It was the same monotony with the mornings. Being there meant that your day officially started at seven am, right after the sirens started blasting all around; it was an archaic way of letting the inmates know it was time for the showers and then breakfast, but it was what a convenient thing.

Regina always woke up at six in the morning, it was her own routine within a routine. The prison had an open cell concept during the nights so since she could visit the common bathroom at any given hour, she liked having the showers all to herself when it was early. It was the only time during the whole day when she could have that kind of privacy, because through the day it was always busy and during the nigh it was dangerous.

That short-lived peaceful bliss was a luxury worth waking early for, and every single day she would do it.

That day wasn't the exception. She took care of her business, she brushed her teeth and then went to shower. Everything was going as it always did until she heard people approaching.

Automatically getting in full defense mode, Regina turned around to see who was coming in and when she saw it was Cruella De Vil with three of her goonies, she knew nothing good would come out of it.

"My mother liked to say that early birds always caught the worm and look at this, she was right. I wouldn't have known as I never listened so what a nice surprise to see she was not wrong." Cruella laughed at her own joke, standing a few steps away from Regina and motioning the other three woman to surround her.

"What do you want?" Regina asked through clenched teeth, killing the shower and putting her underwear even though she was still dripping wet.

If they came looking for a fight, then she needed to at least put something on as she sure as hell wasn't going to this naked.

"Well, dear… we came to deliver a message from Mr. Gold..."

**XxXxXxXxX**

"Hey, did you see that?" Robin asked his friend and fellow prison guard, Will Scarlet, when he saw through the cameras how De Vil and her entourage walked into the bathroom soon after Mills.

At that hour, his shift basically consisted in sitting at the camera room checking the different monitors and as he did that, his eye caught up on the rare occurrence.

Now yes, he knew by then that Mills using the showers so early was a daily thing so he didn't find it weird when he saw her walk in with her toilerettes, but De Vil?

That was definitely not right. Everyone there, from the guards and all the inmates knew the woman was never up to anything good and for some reason he didn't like seeing her go after the brunette.

He just had a bad a feeling about it; after years of seeing those women's antics he has developed a kind of sixth sense when it came to knowing when a bad situation was about to happen and well, his instinct was almost never wrong.

Keeping his eyes on the monitor while putting his coffee down on the panel, Robin threw his hand over Will's shoulder. The man jumped, he has been dozing off so he wasn't really aware of what was going on.

"I'm going down there."

"Okay." Will mumbled, straightening his pose and dragging a hand down his face.

Robin knew he was probably going to doze off once again as soon as he walked out so he made sure to turn on his two way radio, just in case.

"Just don't eat my sandwich, mate."

After saying that, he made it out of the security room and began the process of opening gates and walking the corridors that would take him towards the showers.

When he was by the entrance, he tried to listen in just to check if he could make out something and yes, there were voices and some suspicious sounds echoing all around. That was all he needed to know something was up in there so he took his friction lock baton and slammed it to the door, his intention making some noise.

"Hey, what's going on in there?"

After his words, there was a sudden silence that corroborated his suspicious of some monkey business taking place in there so he hit the door again. "Come out, all of you."

"Dear officer, we are about to take a shower so we are not decent looking. Would you give us a moment… a private moment?"

The one who spoke was De Vil, he would recognize that mocking tone anywhere.

"I won't say it again, time's up so don't make me go in there and drag you all out, decent or not."

He waited fifteen seconds, he even made the count in his head. The first one who walked out was De Vil, soon after followed by her three fellow inmates. None of them were Mills.

They all went out without saying a thing, but Cruella did smirk when she passed him by and he noticed how two of them looked a bit out of breath and kind of ruffled up.

"You too Mills." He said when the other women were gone and she failed to follow his order. "Don't make me go in there." After more waiting, he got no response, thing that made him to as he said he would, he walked in.

Now yes, as a rule, Robin tried to evade getting into the showers unless it was strictly necessary. It was a thing of principle since women in there were usually naked, but his position also dictated that sometimes he would have to do so.

If a brawl took place there he would have to burst in to break it off and sometimes he and his team just went in to make sure the ladies were not dealing there. And now, considering De Vil just walked out with that smug look on her face and Mills remained inside, he was going take it was one of those occasions when he would have to step in.

"Didn't you listen when I told you to get out?" He asked firmly when he saw her bending over one of the sinks.

Now, he couldn't see her face because her back was to him and well, because when he noticed she was in nothing but her plain prison underwear he focused his eyes on a spot on the back of her head. But out of what he could gather, she was alright and in one piece, she was just splashing water to her face.

She didn't say anything though, she just turned off the faucet and swirled around as if to leave. That's when he noticed how she was trying to cover a bloody nose and apparently a busted lip with the back of her hand.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Lifting her head almost defiantly, the inmate rolled her eyes. "I slipped."

His eyes narrowed, not really believing her. But that was the thing with these women, they would turn up with black eyes and bloody noses and occasionally a few broken bones and according to them it was always because they slipped.

It was bullshit and he knew it.

"You slipped on your face? What about that hand, slipped on it too?" He asked right after noticing her bruise knuckles.

Blinking as if in confusion, she lifted her hand up to inspect her hand, then she just shrugged.

"I punched that fucking wall over there. I obviously exaggerated a little." She hissed, clearly mad.

"Why hit it, was the wall responsible of making you slip?"

Groaning, she pressed her hand even harder to her lips. She was bleeding quite a lot from there and she was apparently trying to make it stop.

"I hit it because I'm pissed off."

"Right, because you fell. Are you sure De Vil had nothing to do with this?"

Her warm chocolate eyes found his, they were blazing. "I told you I slipped."

"Yeah," He said, knowing full well that she wasn't going to talk about what really happened, not to him. She was too stubborn, so completely aware of that he closed the distance that separated them and grabbing her chin, he pushed her hand away from her mouth so that he could inspect the source of all that bleeding.

It was a cut on her upper lip.

"You'll need to get a stich or two, dress up so you can go to infirmary."

"I'm fine." She snapped, but when he reached for some paper towels to clean her a little she didn't protest, she just allowed her eyes to roam over his face as he did that.

"Fine my ass, you'll get a scar out of this… and all out of a slip."

"It's these damn slippery tiles." She replied, blinking a couple of times. As she did that, he couldn't help but to notice how her long eyelashes softly brushed like butterfly kisses against her cheekbones.

It was entrancing, the image making him stare for a few seconds; but when he realized what he was doing he lowered his eyes so she wouldn't notice.

The only problem was that looking down was way worse, because he ended up getting a glimpse of her chest and well, she was still wet from her shower and those damn prison bras were too thin to be any decent. He could clearly see more than the swell of her breast, he could also distinguish her nipples sticking out from underneath the white piece of fabric… hell, he could even take on the exact shape of her…

Clearing his throat, the correctional officer put some distance between them and even turned around to throw the bloody paper towel away. "Get dressed."

"I… can't," She began to say. "Apparently I forgot to bring my clothes along."

Robin arched an eyebrow as he turned to her once again; he was back at focusing on her face, specifically on the way she was trying to stop the bleeding. "You forgot to come in dressed?"

He asked just to say something, because he knew she has walked in there wearing the customary black pants the inmates used to wear and a white undershirt. He knew because he saw her through the camera.

But as he took a look around he saw that there were indeed no sign of any type of clothes lying around, at least not as far as he could see. He was going to guess that was also courtesy of Cruella.

"I'm such a ditz in the mornings." She said bitterly, her eyes flashing a dangerous glint he didn't quite like.

Sighing out loud because he knew the business between Regina and Cruella was just starting and that only meant those two were going to end up at each other's throats soon, Robin ran a hand through his short hair. "Alright, if you are going to pretend De Vil didn't have anything to do with any of this then my work here is done. So just go to Whale's office so he can stich you up."

"If you really think I'll go to that creep's office like this then you are out of your mind." She pointed out to her exposed body and unable to help it, he looked.

It was just a passing glance, but it was enough for his mind to confirm that Regina Mills definitely had a nice figure on her.

She was well toned, not exactly a surprise since she liked to use her gym privileges quite often and even run at times during her yard time, but seeing it with his own eyes was a whole other thing…

"Here." He shifted his eyes away, taking off his jacket and handing it to her so that she could cover up. "Put this on so you can go there, I'll send one of your cellmates to get some clothes for you."

"I told you I'm not going there, I can stich myself up if you just get me a few tools."

"So you can botch your face? No way." He scoffed; Regina just rolled her eyes.

"Then I'll bleed to death right here because I won't go to Whale's. Besides he's not even there, that creep clocks in after eight."

Robin clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth because she was right. "Then I'll stich you up myself."

Regina snorted. "So you can botch my face? No way."

At her tone, definitely so much lighter that any he has heard out of the woman before, Robin tilted his head a little to the left, his eyes finding hers to gaze into.

"Come on, I don't want to be here when the sirens get off."

Despite her words, Regina went with him, and as they made their way to the infirmary he couldn't help but to notice how she moved as if she was in complete pain.

"That was quite a fall you took. I hope you don't try to get back at… whatever made you slip." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm to let her know he knew it has been Cruella the one who did that to her.

"You know me, I can't promise anything." Her voice was low, even sultry and he just eyed her over as she stood with his jacket barely covering her.

By then, they were already at the medical room and closing the door, he reached for the tools to treat her.

"You can make a report on her so I can take care of it."

"I am not a snitch."

Robin hummed, he knew she was not going to say more than that so he just worked in silence, first cleaning her face and then stitching he up. When he was done he cleared his throat and took a step back to create some space between them.

"Alright, that definitely is going to leave a scar. Now show me where else you hit yourself."

Fixing her eyes on his, Regina took off his jacket and put it over the hospital bed she was sitting on. She did it slowly and for some reason he felt time slow to a crawl as his own eyes dug into hers.

"Just here." She whispered, her finger pointing to an angry bruise right over her hip.

Definitely crossing a line but justifying it in his mind with the excuse that he wanted to see if there was something broken, he reached for the spot and let his fingers brush against her flesh.

It made her jump a little and she tensed. "Does it hurt too much?"

"It's just a little sore…"

He dropped his hand away and even retreated a little, but when he saw how her eyes follow him, he couldn't help but to let his eyes drop to her lips and yes, then a bit lower to see how her legs were a bit parted so that he could accommodate half his body there.

He hadn't even notice he was doing that and a little taken aback he lifted his eyes back to stare into her own eyes.

He wasn't sure what the hell was going on but all of a sudden, all his senses were on edge…

He was too close, so close he could actually breathe into the soft scent of her and so close he could see how her eyes shone into his.

And then, as her lips parted as if to say something, out of nowhere the siren was blasting loud and clear all around them and they both startled.

He pulled away immediately, a bit confused by the whole thing but covering it up by walking to the medicine cabinet to take out some Panadol.

"Here, this will help." He gave her two before locking the cabinet again. He also took his jacket and then without looking at her, he put it on. "I'll send Swan with your clothes. And, Mills, don't get in any more trouble."

With that said, he walked out, leaving the woman behind as his mind tried to come up with a reasonable explanation of what the hell he was doing…

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to let me know your thoughts about this.


	3. Chapter 3

He was just doing his job… nothing more, nothing less.

At least that was what Robin has been repeating like a broken disk inside his head, the self-imposed therapy he has been working all day long to justify what he was doing.

And really, it made sense to follow the train of though of him just doing what he was being paid to do; he was head of the security guard after all and if there was any kind of suspicions that something big could happen at any given moment, then he needed to be on alert.

There was no ulterior motive… no hidden agenda and definitely no personal reasons behind his actions… so no, he really shouldn't feel so stalkerish.

He was just working. That was the only reason why he has been keeping an eye on Regina Mills ever since he saw her walking out from a breakfast she barely touched; because he was sure as hell that before the day was over, she and Cruella De Vil would be at each other's throat and that right there could start a whole new level lf chaos.

Other inmates could jump in, old grudges could resurface and then before he and his team could fully control the situation, all hell would break loose.

And all that because of Mills and De Vil.

Now, those two clashing horns was like a storm forming right there under his nose, a catastrophe waiting to happen and it was his job to prevent the issue to get even bigger… because there was no doubt that things were going to get bigger and messier if nobody intervened.

He could feel it in his gut and experience told him that his instinct was rarely wrong.

Besides, it was common sense. You didn't need to be an expert on these women to know that either Mills was going to retaliate the beating she took or De Vil was going to finish the job she started that morning; it was the way things worked in prison… a never ending cycle of violence.

But, as much as he could justify why he was on alert when it came to those two, his mind was struggling to grasp why it has been Mills the one he decided to observe… the one he was keeping his tabs on.

Anyone with a little bit of sense would have known that it should have been De Vil the one he needed to focus on as it was easier to keep the trouble maker under his watchful eye; she was after all always out and about while Mills regularly remained out of sight.

Meaning? Keeping an eye on Mills when she was doing nothing much other than staying in her cell was trickier if he wanted discretion while doing the same with De Vil who was currently in the cafeteria area would feel and even look normal.

It has hard to explain and he wouldn't know how to put it into words, but it was just that him roaming the corridors around the cells and keeping an eye on what was going on in Regina's felt ridiculously wrong… for some reason.

Now, despite that fact, Robin tried to remind himself that he was just doing what he needed to do, and that it didn't matter which woman he was concentrating with. It really made no difference, not as long as he wouldn't loose track of her.

And really, Mills staying in her cell was rather convenient as he didn't have to be following her around much.

That right there would have been stalkerish and it would definitely be counterproductive as he was trying to do this as discretely as he could.

So yeah, whatever the reason, the thing was that has seen Mills first so that's why he picked her, now he needed to deal with it.

Besides it wasn't the first time he kept a close eye to an inmate, through the years he has been working there he has done that way too many times and more often than not his results were more than satisfactory. This was simply part of the job, he wasn't doing anything wrong or out of place.

But then, when he found his attention was more focused on the way the woman's hips swayed as she walked, in the gracefulness of her movements or in how her back stretched as she pulled her hair up in a messy bun instead of being on the lookout, he began to wonder what was with him.

Yeah, the brunette was a very attractive woman; he was not blind and well, after their little interaction that morning were he has seen what was underneath her prison uniform, it was natural that his eyes would wander.

It was human nature, a normal reaction any man would have when face to face with such a beautiful creature…

But, easy on the eyes as she was, he needed to keep in mind that he was not in a normal situation. He didn't just happened to walk into a pretty woman at the mall, hell no, this… rather problematic being his mind couldn't stop swirling around was in prison and he worked there as a security officer, meaning that all kinds of inappropriate thoughts about her should be banned indefinitely from his head.

The only thing he needed to be checking was the possible problems waiting to happen and he needed to do it quick or else his shift would end and he would have to leave the disaster for the other guards.

And he hated leaving things unfinished so….

With that in mind, he decided to use the only reliable '_inside source_' he had inside the prison, the Fed.

Nodding in self agreement but knowing full well he would have to make it towards the woman in question's cell and that could be suspicious, Robin walked around a little more. He did it floor by floor until reaching the one were both women were.

Once at the open gate of the cell he peeked in. "Swan, come on out."

Now, he has meant to call the blonde and then walk out, but for some reason, he dwelled a little, allowing his eyes to scan the area… or more specifically, he allowed them to fall over Regina Mills.

It was that way that he noticed that she was sitting with Mal, a small table between them while they apparently played some kind of card game, and because she was sitting with her back to the wall, that meant she ended up fully facing him.

What happened then happened almost as if in automatic; it was an organic thing and much as he did with her, her eyes locked immediately with his.

"Me?" Emma asked a little dumbfounded.

It was only when she spoke that Robin noticed she has been laying on her bed while reading a magazine.

"Is there any other Swan here?" He asked sarcastically, taking a look at the undercover agent before letting his eyes return to the chocolate brown orbs of Regina Mills.

She was staring right back, her lips, full and rosey slightly parted and something resembling curiosity taking over her features. He also noticed that she was still wearing her hair unusually up… and no, he didn't put his attention on that because it left her neck intriguingly exposed to his viewing pleasure, but because he knew that was something these woman would do right before starting a fight.

It apparently diminished the chance of cheap shots like hair pulling and stuff like that, or so he has been told.

"Okay… but just in case I haven't done anything."

Snapping out of the trance he has been in, Robin moved his eyes, first to Emma who was standing up and then towards Mal who was looking at him, her eyes narrowed and a frown on her face.

"Make haste," He told Emma. "I don't have all day." Then, with that said he walked out of the cell.

"What the hell?" Emma hissed once they were out of earshot. "You want to blow my cover? Jesus."

Walking down the corridor and assuming the blonde would follow, Robin tensed his jaw. That has been rather a stupid thing he did back there, especially the way he kept staring at Regina.

It was been careless, out of line and what could be considered a misconduct from his part. Sure, he didn't do anything… but still…

Gosh, he probably needed to slow down with the double shifts because the lack of sleep was clearly affecting his capacity to think straight.

Shaking his head a little to try to regain some of his senses back, Robin straightened his pose and kept walking ahead until he got the spot he wanted to get.

"I'm going to be assigning the work you'll be doing here, any problem with that?" He asked, loud and clear as he opened the door to the utility room. He did it that way in case anyone was trying to listen to them. "I hope you know how to mop and swipe, inmate, because you'll be doing a lot of that for the next few years. And all for the exorbitant sum of ten cents per hour."

"Really? There wasn't anything good left?"

Robin motioned Emma to walk in, when she did he looked around to see if there was anyone around. There was no one. "Did you find out anything?"

He asked, no preambles whatsoever. That morning when he sent the woman to go and give Mills her uniform, he gave her a quick update of what happened and Emma came to the conclusion that Cruella was the one Gold sent to take info out of Regina.

According to the special agent, that only meant she needed to hurry up in her investigation because she was sure Gold and his accomplices were only starting and she needed the pen drive before they could get them first.

"Nothing important, the woman is a tomb. I know she's pissed as hell because instead of air she has been breathing out venom, it's insane how thick the air was there. Then she made a call, oh, because she has a phone in case you didn't know and ever since she talked to whoever it was on the other side, she has been more relaxed. She has been whispering and talking secretly with Mal though but I couldn't make out a single word of what they are saying."

"She has a phone in there?" He asked. Now it wasn't like he was overly surprised because phones were among the most popular contrabands in prison, but his team did regular searches in all the cells and Mill's always came up clean.

"Yes, but don't you dare take it away. I need to get a hold of it and see if I can get it unlocked. I want to see who she's been in contact with."

"You can do the same if I confiscate it, it would be easier too. We have some security protocols in here and letting them keep phones in their cells is a huge no."

"Locksley, this is bigger than any protocol or this little prison. We are talking big game in here and Mills is they key to it all so I need the phone with her so that she keeps doing whatever she is doing. Also, you need to be aware that now that I know Gold has someone doing his dirty work here, that I'll need to step up. If Cruella is beating the shit out of her in the bathroom, then I'll do worse to make her talk."

Robin arched an eyebrow. "Are you asking for my permission or are you letting me know? Because if it was the first I'll tell you right now that I won't let you do it."

That seemed to take her aback because she scoffed and blinked a few times. "Will you be interfering in a federal investigation? I could have you arrested for that."

The menace threw him off a bit but he didn't let it show. It was ridiculous how these Feds thought they owned the world and that they could do whatever the hell they wanted no matter the consequences. But not in his prison, not with his inmates.

"You do whatever you need to do and I'll do the same. I doubt torture or inhuman treatment against an inmate in custody of the State is something the federal government would want to defend in public."

Her eyes widened. "Oh I see… I see how it will be then. Alright. Well if you excuse me, I have to keep an eye on my target."

With that said, Emma left, obviously furious.

"Unbelievable." He snorted before walking out as well.

Now, it took him less than a minute to make another round and notice that both Regina and Mal were no longer in their cell. He knew, then and there that neither one of them were up to any good.

"Shit." He mumbled before hurrying to the cafeteria.

_ **Ten Minutes before…** _

"What the hell was that?"

Lowering her hand of cards and putting them face down over the table, the dark haired woman known as Regina Mills moved her eyes to her friend and cellmate, the tip of her tongue pushing insistently against the inside of her lips.

"What?"

Narrowing her eyes and leaning over the table, Mal sighed out loud. "Don't play dumb with me, you know I'm talking about that intense eye-fucking you and Mr. Pretty guard were doing just now. I mean I know everyone thinks I'm crazy and maybe I am, but I'm sure as hell not blind."

The corner of Regina's lip curled, but other that that her face remained stoic. "I'll tell you what you are, delusional."

Now sure, it was true that the man has come there looking at her a little too intensely and that she has been somehow caught in the glance; but calling it eye fucking was going a bit over the top.

It was nothing like that. She has noticed Locksley roaming around the corridors for a while now and there was no doubt in her mind that the correctional officer was probably trying to read out of her if she was going to cause any trouble, a smart move on his part because she definitely was going to do some damage…

"Am I, really?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Regina nodded. "Yes."

Mal clicked her tongue. "Sure. Okay, I have to ask this because I know you won't say it, so, are you sure nothing happened between you two? I mean I know my guards very well and Locksley taking the time to check on you, stitch you up and help you out is definitely not his style. I mean he fucking did that himself… while you were naked."

"I wasn't naked and no, nothing happened so just drop it, okay? The man was doing his job… same thing he is doing now."

"Mmhmm I know what I know, and that man wants with you and you don't look like you would mind him having his way with you. I don't know, I think you should let him put it in you… or whatever. I think it would do you good. You are so tense."

Groaning, Regina's face screwed. "Of course I'm tense, Mal. I'm in prison, I'm all levels of fucked up in here, now more than ever so do you really think screwing a guard, a guard for crying out loud would do me any good?"

The blonde considered it for a second. "Well yeah. I mean he is hot, even I would do him if given the chance and that's saying a lot since I haven't had a man in a long, long time."

Scoffing, Regina shook her head. She knew Mal was talking out of her ass but she still humored her. "You would do a guard, a male guard?"

Mal shrugged. "I think everyone in here would… hell, most of them have at least sucked one off in exchange of something so yeah, maybe I would."

"That's messed up."

"That's prison."

Closing her eyes for a second and thinking that yes, that was prison, Regina blew out a breath. "God, I hate it here."

"You know what would make you hate this place a little less? Having that D in you, I mean you've turned down all the girls here so it's clearly you only go for men."

"Why are we talking about this, or about that guard? I don't want him to put anything on me, let alone his dick. And even if I wanted to, it has been such a long time for me that I wouldn't even know what to do with it." She scoffed, pressing a hand to her forehead and rolling her eyes.

"Darling." Mal guffawed. "I doubt it has been longer than me and I would definitely know what to do with it. Besides you don't really need to do much, just lay there and let him do all the work. Mmm that would be so hot."

"You are out of your mind."

"Don't you think he's hot at least?"

"I don't know… I guess, but I don't even know what's his name so it's not like I really thought about doing him."

"It's Robin. It even goes with your name, Robin and Regina. Rrrrr."

Regina hummed, crossing her arms to her chest and pushing her back against the chair. Robin… for some reason, she wanted to say the name out loud just to feel it roll out of her tongue.

She didn't of course because that would only fuel Mal's delusions even more.

Now sure, even if she would never say it out loud, she had to admit that back at the infirmary, the man has left her more than a little flustered and confused. She didn't know how that happened but his eyes on hers, his closeness and the way his fingers made every muscle in her body tense up when he touched the naked flesh of her hip really put her mind to work…

She would have let him kiss her right there and maybe even more, if that has been his intention. But it clearly wasn't… as she was no longer anyone worth of waking up any decent man's desire. In there she just an inmate and she doubted the always serious guard would ever want to touch her, so she better not even think about him that way.

"You know what will make me feel really good? Wiping that mocking grin out of Cruella's ugly mug."

Just thinking about how the woman ambushed her was enough to make her blood start boiling through her veins all over again.

She couldn't help feeling like that, after all Cruella really did a number on her and it pissed her off.

Now yeah, she tried to fight them off because she wasn't completely defenseless like most people thought. After years of training in different martial arts she knew how to put on a fight, but it has been four against one so at the end they got her good. She had the stitches in her upper lip, a sore hip and back and her fist hurt like a bitch.

"Me too, I'll beat her so bad…"

"Nah, I'll do it." Getting to her feet, Regina walked to her bed and reached underneath her pillow to grab the three bars of soap Mal got for her earlier on.

Once she had them, she put them inside one of her prison socks and after making a strong notch on it, she motioned Mal to get up as well. "If Cruella wants to play dirty, then I'll play dirty too. Come on, before the guard is back at making his rounds.

Apparently excited about the upcoming action, Mal threw her cards up in the air and followed Regina down the three sets of stairs to the main floor.

Once down, they made it undisturbed towards the cafeteria. Regina scanned the area first, first spotting that Casiddy, one of the guard was there making the rounds and second, that Cruella was also there.

She had her back to her so she could win some time by approaching unannounced, but she didn't want that, she wanted Cruella to know what was about to hit her.

"Go to Cassidy and distract him or something." She told Mal and snickering, the blonde walked to the man.

Meanwhile, Regina tightened her hold on the sock and walked straight towards the woman in sight.

"Cruella." She called out, making the woman turn to her. She got to her feet as did the other three that were with her.

"Well look who came out to play aga…" Before the woman could finish talking, Regina swung the sock as hard as she could and hit her right in the face.

It made Cruella spit some blood… or so Regina though, she wasn't so sure because everything happened so fast that she really didn't have time to appreciate the beauty of it. All she knew was that after hitting Cruella with the bars in the sock, she jumped her, first hitting her jaw with an elbow and then swirling around her so that she could wrap an arm around her neck while they both went down to the floor with a loud thud.

"Hey, hey!" That has been the guard, but because a fight always made other fights break out, he didn't reach her as fast as he would have wanted to, because now what reigned in the cafeteria was pure chaos.

Smirking at the scene, Regina breathed into the moment. Now yes, as she kept her hold on Cruella, someone kicked her hip a few times, probably to make her let go. It was the hip she hurt earlier on and she hissed in pain, but that also made her squeeze harder. "I'll break your fucking neck, you hear me?"

Trying to get some air, Cruella reached for her. She was probably trying to get a hold of her hair as she has done at the showers, but because she has pulled her dark locks up this time, her nemesis ended up grabbing nothing but empty air.

"Tell Gold, that if he keeps fucking with me or my family, that I'll make sure next shot he gets will be on the head."

"Let go, Mills."

Recognizing the voice as that of Locksley's, Regina let go of Cruella and lifted both hands in the air. She did it with the smirk still on her face while sitting on her heels.

"Now get up."

Before she could do as she was told, Cruella turned around and with a brutal groan she pushed Regina to her back. She looked like a total madwoman, her mouth full of blood and her eyes blazing as she jumped over her.

"I'll fucking kill you, you bitch."

Using her knees to push the woman off, Regina groaned as well, but she easily reversed the situation so that she was now the one on top of Cruella.

Regaining the upper hand, Regina meant to smash De Vil's head to the floor by grabbing her face hard between her hands and then slamming it, but before she could do such a thing someone grabbed her by the waist and easily lifted her up.

"Let go of me!" She yelped because she wanted to do even more damage to the woman in the floor, so she trashed against the hold and even threw a kick when Cruella got to her feet and meant to go at her once again.

"That's enough, Mills."

She didn't listen, not because she wanted to rebel against the guard's orders but because Cruella kept going at her. So she threw a few kicks and even tried to reach for the woman to hit her or something.

"Damn it, Neal, take De Vil out of here or something."

Lifting her eyes, Regina saw how Cassidy came out of nowhere, took his taser out and pressed it to Cruella's side. It made the woman go down immediately.

On his part, Locksley tightened his hold on her and carried her away, leaving a more than chaotic cafeteria behind.

Now, the corridor he was walking through was one she knew very well, he was taking her to the hole.

"Put me down, I can walk." She hissed, annoyed as hell.

Locksley only put her down when they were in an empty cell in isolation.

"For Christ's sake, Mills. You really had to start a fucking riot down there?" He spat, obviously more than a little angry.

Her nose wrinkled as she tried to catch her breath. It was a bit hard to do as her heart was beating so hard with so much adrenaline still pumping through her. "I didn't want to start a riot, but hey, shit happens."

He pinned her down with a heated glance before swirling around to leave.

"How long will I stay here?" She asked before he could go.

Locksley turned, walking back inside so that he could stand just a few steps away from her. "I think you just won an indefinite stay here."

Regina just blinked. Of course she knew she was going to end down the hole, but she still wanted to know for how long.

"Seriously, what the hell were you thinking?"

She scoffed. "Well, I was thinking that if I let Cruella get away with what she did, that she was going to keep going after me. You saw what she did to me so don't act like this actually surprised you."

"Yeah, well I thought you slipped. Isn't that what you said happened?"

Biting her lips, Regina ran a hand over her hair. She said nothing more though, as she probably already said too much.

Sighing out loud, Locksley took a step forward. "I told you to make a report and that I would take care of it. But you didn't listen, you didn't let me help you and now look at the mess you just made."

Her chin lifted up and she ended up looking straight into his eyes. "Help me? And since when any of you guards are interested in helping any of us down here?"

His eyes moved over her face and her breath got caught up in her throat. "Despite popular belief, we are not your enemies, so yeah, when I told you I was going to take care of it I meant it, but instead you decided to ignore the offer and turn things into a circus."

"Not our enemies? All you do is write shots at me and throw me down here, so that certainly doesn't scream friends to me."

"Well you certainly go out of your way to earn those shots. Or is it that you think we should reward all your little antics with a lollipop? You are quite a pain in the ass, you know?"

His tone wasn't harsh, it was actually quite mellow and before she could help it, the tip of her tongue was running over her lips. He followed the movement… and that made something inside of her stir. "Skittles, I like them better."

Taking her by surprise, he snorted, and when his lips curved she noticed that he had dimples. She hadn't notice that before, probably because she usually wasn't so close and also, because it was the first smile she actually saw on him.

He had a good smile on him, it went perfectly with those eyes of his…

"Skittles." He repeated, a hand lifting to his jaw so that he could scratch over. "I'll keep that in mind." With that said, he eyed her over and then, he left.

Closing her eyes and feeling an unusual heat creep to her chest, Regina shook her head. She also snorted at how stupid the whole thing was…

"You done fucking that guard over there, Gina?"

Jumping a little but recognizing the voice as that of Ursula's, Regina groaned. The woman was probably in the cell besides her own.

"Is that the pretty one?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, sitting over the bed and pressing her head to the wall.

"I was getting kind of turned on you know, I wanted to hear some action but you kept whispering those sweet nothings and I couldn't hear a damn thing at the end."

"Shut up, Ursula, nothing happened here."

"Right… um hum."

"Nothing happened."

"Not even a little hot make out? Damn girl, talk about a wasted opportunity."

"Just shut up, this hole has you being clearly delusional. "

"I don't know about that, I just know that I've never had some guard chatting up with me for so long in here, they usually throw me in, tell me to fuck off and then I'm left to rot."

"That's what this one did." Well, not exactly. He actually made her mind drift from Cruella for a while.

"Yeah… you two did nothing there and I'm a Sea Goddess."

Licking her lips and closing her eyes, Regina smiled. She was going to ignore her cellmate and instead get inside her own mind so she could succumb into her plans…

She was every day a little closer to where she needed to be to get a chance at escaping that hell so she needed to focus on that. But as much as she tried to, her mind kept dragging her back to other kinds of thoughts…

To blue eyes and a dimple smile.

"_Robin_…" she whispered the name, _Robin_…

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this story feels too fast-paced for my usual style of writing but I'll try to do my best. Now this chapters gets a bit… _interesting_, for lack of a better word to use so I hope it doesn't throw people off. Enjoy

Regina would never admit this out loud, not even under the menace of torture, but for the last four days she has been low-key wishing for Robin to be the guard assigned to work in the solitary confinement area.

Yeah… it was actually a weird thing since her interactions with the man has been basically none for the ten months she has been imprisoned there and well, since he has been the one who sent her to the hole, but she really, really felt like she wanted to see him or even listen to him telling her in that entrancing accent he had on him that if she was in that damn cell, alone and going out of her mind, it was because she had it well deserved.

Now, she didn't know why she wanted that and sometimes, in her forced seclusion she was sure that it was because being in the hole for eight days straights was messing with her head.

She wouldn't know how else to explain it…

Putting it like that even made sense because it hasn't always been like that for her, not even by a long mile. For the first couple of days everything has been okay, first because she had Ursula in the next cell and even though she couldn't see her, she could very well listen to her and the company has helped her cope. Then Ursula did her time and she was sent back to general population and that has been alright too because she didn't mind being on her own, it gave her time to think and polish her plans.

But then the days kept dragging on and time kept stretching out and when she realized this was not going to be her usual three days punishment, she has started to get antsy.

It was like nothing she has felt before, not even during those awful first weeks in prison or even with her first time at the hole.

No… this was definitely a new state of mind and it has been like this: by the fifth day she started to get a sense of claustrophobia eating her inside out, her mind started going around in circles knowing she was going to miss her sister's call and the walls just started to close in on her.

She paced, she bit into all ten of her fingernails until there was nothing more to chew on and she started to play in her mind all kind of possible scenarios of things going wrong outside of that cell…

Like Gold going after her parents, or Zelena being unable to finalize with the things she was working on or hell, even Cruella using Mal to get back at her. After all the woman did say when she first attacked her at the showers that she was going to make a junkie out of her friend again and since she knew first hand Mal's struggles to stay clean, it worried her.

All that was stressful and frustrating to say the least and as it turned out, an easy way to clear her mind of all that was thinking about Locksley.

Well, Robin…

Even saying the name out loud resulted soothing for her and she made the man her focus.

It didn't mean anything, obviously, but it was better to think about him and get these silly ideas of him dancing in her mind than wondering if Mal was back at using or worrying about her father being shot to dead while grocery shopping or something along that line.

So she did that. Whenever she heard that one of her meals was about to be delivered she would hold her breath wondering if it was going to be him, or she would imagine what would she say if he came out of nowhere to finally get her out of there… and when another inmate was brought in she would press her ear to the door just to check if she could listen to him.

He never came, or at least she never heard him and her wishful thinking started to turn into really silly questions. Like… was he married or did he have a special someone? She would say no to that judging by how many hours he has been working as of late but who knew? Maybe he needed the extra money for a new baby or a wedding or whatever…

He was a good looking man… or at least he wasn't so bad to look at so she didn't really think he was on the market… not like she was interested or anything, it was just an observation… a way to occupy her mind. At least that was her excuse.

So yes, in that same line she would wonder how old was he or even when was his birthday and what kind of things he liked doing when he was not working.

She would bet on anything that he was into sports, like most men, obviously… but he had that look on him that told her that maybe he even played something.

Now was it football? He was definitely an Englishman so that sounded about right, but it could also be baseball or maybe even…

Before completing that line of thought, Regina heard movement outside her door and she immediately sat up over the bed, straightening her rumpled clothes and trying to fix her hair.

It proved to be a hard task considering she has been there without even combing it since forever and since she has been just laying there for quite a while, her feet flat on the thin mattress, her knees pointing up and her mind going about her silly thoughts; but upon the new sound she was back at being alert. And when the door opened she was staring expectantly in that direction.

"Come on sweet cheeks, time to get back to gen pop."

And no, it was definitely not Locksley. It was the asshole with the guyliner, the one who thought he was the big shit just because he had a taser and the ability to give them shots.

It was a bummer to see him and not Ronin but hey, at least she was getting out. With a roll of her eyes and that fact as consolation, the dark haired woman slipped her feet into her shoes and getting up to her feet, she walked straight towards the door, her intentions getting the hell out of there once and for all.

"What, not even a thank you?" Jones said with a satisfied grin on his face as he blocked the door so she couldn't get out. "Any other of the girls would have shown a little bit of… gratitude for me." He finished by reaching up, apparently meaning to touch her face. But with a scowl, Regina took a step back.

"First of all, I'm not a girl. Second, get the fuck out of my way."

His eyebrow shot up but the grin never dropped off. "Feeling feisty, Mills? Because I think a couple more days here will make you humble down, what do you think?"

The question was ridiculous because no, she didn't want to be there a minute longer. But sometimes, old habits died hard and instead of biting her tongue she would open her mouth to dig herself even deeper.

"If they are a couple of more days without seeing your ugly mug then I'm all for it."

He scoffed, but he did get out of her way. "Nah, but you'll wish I would have left you here. I mean Cruella is not happy with the teeth you knocked out of her mouth so trust me, she'll make you humble down even better than being here."

"Oh I'm shaking." Opening her eyes as wide as she could and lifting a hand and making it move rapidly, Regina bit back sarcastically.

Yes, she knew Cruella was probably going to try and set the score straight and she was definitely going to try to finish Gold's dirty work as soon as she could, but that only meant she needed to be more careful from now on.

She was not going to let anyone think she was afraid so as to demonstrate her lack of fear, she used the hand she already had up and flipped Jones.

A tactless act she wouldn't have been caught doing before prison.

On his part, Jones shrugged while reciprocating the gesture with a quite obscene one and after escorting her out of solitary he was gone.

Putting her bitch face back on now that she was back in public, Regina made her way to her cell. She did it while keeping her eyes open for signs of Cruella. She saw none and was able to move along undisturbed.

"Oh my God!" Mal yelped as soon as she stepped into the common cell and Regina was not going to lie, she was glad to see the woman jump down to her feet to hug her.

Now, she wasn't usually the kind who showed too much affection but because she was glad to see her friend alert and with all her senses intact, she hugged her back and even chuckled at the silliness of it all.

"Look at you, you were gone for so long."

"I know."

"I talked to your sister." Mal whispered so very low into her ear that she almost struggled to understand. But when the message cleared, Regina just nodded, as that was something they would need to discuss when there was nobody listening.

"Bitch, I even started using those fancy lotions you have here thinking you were not coming back." Ursula said and pulling away from Mal, Regina rolled her eyes.

"Yeah and I bet that made you immensely sad."

"Gina, you know you're my girl and all that but those lotions are the shit. So sorry not sorry."

Shaking her head, Regina went to check her bed and as she did that, she saw out of the corner of her eye that Swan was there, just sitting in her bunk and looking around. "I see we still have Taylor Swift here, what happened to Ruby?"

"Ugh, let's not even talk about that. Ruby was last to get out of the hole so this bitch got her spot. Maybe if it wasn't because Mal kicked her to the curve she would have fought Blondie here, but she's now cuddling with Dorothy. Ugh, ungrateful little harpy."

"You did that?" Regina asked Mal and the blonde just shrugged and flipped at her hair way too dramatically.

"What can I say? You should never eat where you shit."

Snorting in disapproval because that was so Mal, getting lovers and then cutting them off just because she could, Regina grabbed for her pillow. Her intentions has been dusting it off just in case, but as soon as she lifted it up a red object caught her attention.

She had to look twice, and when she finally registered what it was she had to bite down the smile that broke out of her lips.

It was a bag of skittles and there was only one person who could have left it there… same person who has been occupying half her thoughts for the last dew days so knowing that even for a minute he thought about her too made her feel all warn inside.

She was sure she even blushed like a stupid school girl…

"What's that?"

The one who asked has been Mal and snapping back to her cruel reality, Regina placed the pillow back down to cover the candies and hummed, meaning to never in her life say out loud what was there and who may have put it in her bed. "Mal, I get you don't like being tied down and all that, but dumping Ruby, really?"

"Let's not chance subjects here." Smiling, her friend narrowed her eyes and grabbed the pillow. She did it before Regina could do something about it. "Hey Ursula, check this out."

"Holy crap was that…?"

"Come on guys, cut it off." Regina said because Swan was there and she didn't trust that one. There was something about her she wasn't quite liking and the last thing she needed was for the woman to have some dirt on her.

But neither one of her so called friends paid her any kind of attention.

"Seems like Regina has a secret admirer."

"Oh I don't think it's so secret, is it, Gina dear?"

Regina sent them both a look, one they completely ignored in favor of talking about her as if she wasn't even there.

"Hmm the pretty guard could have been the one, but I don't know. That could have easily been anyone, I mean I know for a fact that she has a few admires here, but I also know all of them are aware she's straighter than the pole you used to dance out of here so…"

"Hey, I resent that. I didn't dance in a pole, I sang… in a place where other girls danced in a pole… but anyway, we both know that wasn't any of those bitches who want a piece of that ass. It was someone with a dick."

"You think? Usually, someone with a dick isn't that thoughtful, especially a prison guard; they see someone they want to nail and they quickly are like this: _hey babe, you wanna fuck_? And then they are all over you like vultures trying to get a peek down your shirt or grabbing your ass when you walk by and ugh. Now don't get me wrong, a man once a year is okay, but I rather stick with women. What about you, Emma?"

As if caught by surprise that they were including her, Emma did a double take. "Oh, well I usually go for men, stupid creatures as they are, but when you are locked up it doesn't hurt to switch a little. Women are usually more…"

"Satisfying, I know." Mal laughed.

"Well, you two do whatever you need to do, but I'll have to side with Gina here, men are simple creatures, true but they are fucking hot and if they are into you too they sometimes do nice things."

"Sure, and that's exactly the kind of thinking that got you here, isn't it? Locked up while your man is chilling outside."

"Hell no, I got here because I got stupid, not because of my man's stupid ass. But you know what? If that would have been the case then it's okay I mean…" With those words hanging in the air, Ursula stepped back and with the loud attitude that characterized her she started dancing and singing.

"Here we go again."

"Yeah, I got boy problems that's the human in me, bling bling, then I solve 'em, that's the goddess in me."

"You know what, as much as I enjoy listening to you clowns, I'm going to get a shower. I need one rush." Regina said, taking the opportunity that the subject of the skittles was apparently done and that she would be able to keep her Robin thoughts to herself.

That's where she wanted to keep them, buried in her mind. Also, who knew if she was going to run into him later on and if that happened, she needed to freshen up, brush her teeth and definitely wash her hair.

So yeah she was in desperate need of cleaning up, after a week locked up she needed it so bad that she was going to do it even if the showers were probably going to be full of people at that hour.

"I'll go with you… in case Cruella gets creative."

Mal said, giving her a look that meant they needed to talk after.

"Sure." With that said, Regina grabbed her things, including the skittles and walked out.

Now, taking a shower took quite a while because she had to wash and scrub the feeling of not being able to clean up properly at the hole for more than a week, but once she was done she felt like a whole new person.

"Let's go to the library." Regina said, thinking that was the best place to talk about whatever Mal and Zelena discussed. It was also where she kept her phone hidden so maybe she could also call her sister and get an idea of what was happening outside.

The only problem with that plan was that before she could even enter the room properly, she was receiving a blow to the head and a kick to the back of her knees that quickly sent her down to the floor.

It happened so fast that she hasn't even been able to react properly. Whoever attacked her came from behind and she definitely didn't see it coming.

"What the fuck?" Mal complained as she has been hit as well and when Regina looked up, she saw that Cruella and at least five other inmates were there, including Emma Swan.

"You fucking little bitch." Regina tried to get up and reach her new cellmate, even elbowing someone who tried to grab her from behind. It was in vain; because she had six woman right in front of her, but behind her there were at least four more restricting her.

"Not so brave now, uh, Regina?"

"Let's go one on one you and me and I'll show you how brave I am. Maybe I'll end up knocking the rest of your teeth out of that ugly thing you call face."

Cruella smirked, and when she nodded she was kicked in the back.

It made her spine arch forward and it took the breath out of her for a few seconds.

"Bring me Mal here." The woman commanded and just like that, three women walked forward and dragged the blonde close to her. Sure, Mal put on a fight and threw some threats, but after a struggle they succeeded.

It took Regina a bit of time to see that there was a chair with at least three lines of coke and that they were taking Mal right to it, almost pushing her head into the chair.

"No, you fucking bitch!" The blonde yelped, trying to break free.

Biting hard on her lips and trying to strategize and maybe even win some time, Regina swallowed on dry. "What are you doing?" She asked at last in a hiss.

"I'll make this simple. You talk and tell me what I need to know or we'll make this old junkie get hooked up again with this shit. Who knows, this is some pure coke and there's a lot, so maybe she'll overdose and drop dead. I bet that would break your heart, won't it?"

"Okay, okay…" She started to say, moving her eyes to Swan and shooting her a glance that promised retaliation. "This is between you and me so leave Mal out of it."

"You'll talk then?"

"Let her go and we'll talk."

"Deal. Take her away, but to my cell. I won't leave her alone until I have all I need to have out of you."

"No Regina, don't say a damn thing."

"Just shut up, Mal."

Groaning when the other women forced her to her feet to take her away, Mal kicked at the chair hard enough to send it flying along with the white powder on it and Regina took the element of surprise to try and break free.

She almost made it, but Emma moved to her and slapped her across the face as the rest of the women held on her tighter. "Open your mouth."

"Fuck you." She hissed, her eyes fixed on her cellmate's. "You made a huge mistake here by siding with this one, I'll kill you in your sleep."

"Yeah, yeah… whatever. Open your mouth or I'll make you."

As a response Regina clasped her mouth shut as her chin defiantly lifted up. True, she doubted she looked menacing or whatever while down on her knees but what else was there to do?

"Alright then." Grabbing Regina's face, Swan began the process of trying to force something into her mouth, something Regina was quite sure was a pill.

She fought it, but there were too many people there. Some restricting her movement, another one holding her face still and pulling at her jaw forcefully, Emma trying to push the pill pass her lips and Cruella taking some coke out of the floor and mockingly rubbing it to her face.

At the end, she had no choice other than to swallow it… her mind wondering what was going to happen now…

**20 minutes earlier**

Robin was already on his forth beer when his phone started to vibrate inside the pocket of his pants.

He was going to ignore it, especially when he saw it was an unknown number; but because force of habit was a hard thing to kick out off, he answered the call and put the devise to his ear.

"Locksley speaking."

"Hey, it's Emma Swan."

Groaning because one, he was already off duty, having clocked out more than a couple of hours ago and two, because the agent calling only meant she also smuggled a phone into prison and that was a huge breech in security, he slapped a hand to his forehead.

"What is it?"

"Listen, I'll be quick about it so just listen without trying to bite my head off. You know that when you put Regina on solitary, you gave me no choice than to side with Cruella, right?"

Robin hummed, motioning Will Scarlett that he was going to walk outside for a minute.

"Well… I kind of put two ideas in that crazy bitch's head and she's going to go for them to make Regina talk. Now here's the thing, Regina is out and we'll go to her and do this shit, I will give her a nice little pill that will make her loosen up that tongue of hers… among other things and well, I don't want her spilling the beans to Cruella so I was thinking that maybe you could give me a hand here?"

"I can't." He said truthfully, because even if he wanted to help, he was no longer in the building. He was winding up after a long-ass shift and he had no intentions of getting back there.

"Are you hooking up with her, with Regina?"

Snorting in stupefaction, Robin screwed up his face. "What the fuck, Swan, really? I don't hook up with inmates…"

"Okay, chill, I was just asking because Mal and Ursula were teasing her about some skittles someone left for her and even when she didn't spill the beans on who this mystery person was, I had this crazy idea that it may have been you."

Tensing his jaw and tightening his hold on the phone, Robin closed his eyes. "Well it wasn't me." Now, he plain out loud lied because yes, it has been him.

It has been a bloody stupid thing to do and he knew it, but by the time he decided he better not go through with it, the damn thing was already under her pillow and he never had the chance to take it back.

He wasn't even sure what the hell he has been thinking…

Yeah, part of him felt bad she has been in the hole for so long so she was a constant thought bouncing inside his head, but go ahead and leave her candy? The kind she specifically told him she liked? That was been way out of line from his part.

"Well that's a bummer because you two hooking up would be ideal, I mean if you were helping me that was."

"Sorry to disappoint, agent."

"I'll tell you what, that pill that I gave her, I told you it was going to loose her up and I had plans of you know, be the one working her up but apparently she's not into women so how about you do it for me. I don't think Cruella will let me be one on one with her anyway so come on, will you take one for the team? She's hot so it's not like it will be a total burden for you. She's also taking a shower right now so she'll even be clean for you."

Groaning because what the FBI agent was implying was both illegal and morally wrong, Robin shook his head.

"You are all kinds of messed up in the head if you think I'll fucking do that. It's a felony… actually, I think there are more than two felonies right there, one of them including rape so fuck you, Swan."

"Ugh, you're so uptight. But okay, I'll ask Killian Jones to do it, he'll have no problem playing one for the team."

Knowing that she was absolutely right about Killian, he took in a deep breath.

"I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll send Mulan to crash your little party and take Mills away until she's not under the influence of your pesky pills, then I'll go to Mary Margaret and tell her about your shitty plans so…"

"You think she doesn't know? You need a reality check, Robin, this thing is happening even if you are not down with it. Fuck I don't even know why I try with you." With that said, she hung up.

Scoffing, he shook his head, not quite believing what the agent was willing to do to get her information.

He was also sure that drugged or not, Mills was not going to talk so all Swan was going to get out of it was let Jones molest her and that was so, so wrong.

"Shit." He mumbled, going back inside the bar to tell Will he needed to go. Then, when that was done he called Mulan.

He knew the woman was on camera duty so she probably had her phone on her and he was going to need the woman's help to prevent Emma and Cruella to get away with their plans…

Now, it didn't take long for him to go back to the prison, fifteen minutes top, but the process of getting inside was a bit more arduous.

Luckily, Mulan has been able to find all the women through Mal who told on the others and upon her arrival, they all scattered out. She sent them all to their cells, but she kept Mills at the library.

"Alright so what do we have here?" He said as soon as he walked in to find both woman inside, Mulan apparently bored out of her mind at having to keep guard on an inmate and Mills sitting on the floor, her head bowed down so that her hair hid most of her face.

"I'm late for my lunch break, that's what going on here."

Biting his tongue to keep himself from telling the woman he was off fucking duty himself, Robin scoffed. "Go, I'll take over and take her to the infirmary."

At his words, both women reacted, Mulan leaving and Regina lifting her face to look at him.

She didn't look the kind of drugged he has been expecting her to be… like passed out and slurring nonsense, but she did look quite odd, definitely not like her usual composed self.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." He said, offering her a hand to help her up.

"Where's Mal?"

"In her cell, you don't need to worry about anyone but yourself now."

At his words, Mills laughed, the sound a raspy thing filling the air as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Robin just watched, realizing that it was the first time he ever heard the woman laugh like that. It was an entrancing sound that in any other occasion would have make him want to hear more of it, but right in that moment it only made him confirm that Swan probably gave her the pill to loosen her up… whatever that thing was.

"Do you have water?"

He didn't, but after making her get up to her feet he made sure to get a couple of bottles of her; she drank the first one rather fast as he guided her through the inside corridors of the prison.

"That fucking bitch gave me something… she drugged me or I don't know..."

Regina said, her voice a bit too loud while turning to him, then she moved her head from side to side to take a look at her surroundings, probably realizing he just took her back to isolation.

They were already in a cell there, the door locked behind his back.

It made her eyes widen and her jaw drop. "No. No you can't, I haven't done anything."

"I know, okay…" He hurried to say when he saw the desperate look she just gave him. "It will be just until whatever she gave you wears out, I promise."

She laughed again, running a hand through her slightly damp hair and turning her back to him. "Oh my God… I'm going to kill her…"

"Let's not talk about killing people, that won't help you at all here."

Mills turned back to him, her eyes fixing on his at once. She didn't say anything though.

"I know you are not a killer so do not turn into one here." Now why he was engaging in conversation with her? He wasn't sure, probably because he wanted to keep her mind rolling.

"I'm here for murder."

"Attempted, I read your file."

She scoffed, turning back again so that she began to pace. She definitely not looked quite like herself so he wondered if it was better if he took her to Whale instead…

"If I knew I was going to be sentenced the same way I would have killed that son of a bitch. Would have saved me so much trouble." She said simply, even coming off as amused as she walked from one side of the cell to the other.

Folding his arms to his chest, Robin couldn't help but to let the woman's words get him to think of Emma's way of seeing things, not the part of taking advantage of her but the one of making her talk. It was a passing thought though because he had no intention of getting information out of her while she was under the influence of some drug.

"Why don't you sit down?" He motioned to the bed just because it was the only place to sit and he wanted her still, all that pacing was making him anxious.

"No…" She mumbled, taking off the jacket of her prison uniform and throwing it away. It made her stay in a white tank top and the mandatory black pants of the uniform. "Why is it so hot here?"

"Okay, then I'll be the one sitting down."

Regina nodded, not even paying much attention to him and he did just that, picking a corner of the bed and just sitting down.

"What did she gave me? I don't like it."

"Do you want me to take you with Whale?"

"No." She blurted out, stopping her pacing to stand in front of him. "I don't like him, the guy is a creep and I… I don't trust him…"

"Alright." He replied, wondering if it has been a good idea for him to sit down. He has rushed there without taking most of his things, just his ID card to open and close the doors and gates and that left him bare in case she turned violent.

Not like he couldn't easily immobilize her if she did, she wasn't so big to begin with and he was well trained, so it wasn't like she could do much damage on him if that was her intention. Even if he had a few beers on him.

"No Whale them. But sit down before you wear yourself out."

"It's so damn hot in here." She said, paying him no attention and kicking her shoes away. She did the same with her socks, and when he saw her pull her pants down her legs he almost did a double take.

"Okay why don't you just sit down, drink more water and try to wind down? It'll make you feel better."

"Yeah?" She asked, her eyes wild and her cheeks a little flushed.

She was indeed looking all hot and bothered and that put all his senses on alert. Thankfully, she sat down. She sipped more water and she laughed a little, complaining once again that she was still hot while running her fingers compulsively through her hair.

Then, all of a sudden she jumped to her feet and went down to grab her pants, digging into the pockets while mumbling under her breath something he couldn't quite pick up.

Now, she bent all wrong as she did that and Robin actually had to look away not to get caught up on the way her ass was in his line of vision.

"Here, did you leave me this, on my bed?" She asked, thankfully straightening up while basically shoving the skittles right on his face.

"Um yeah, I did." He scratched hard against his skull while sucking the inside of his cheek into his mouth.

"Uff, you know how long it has been since I got one of these?"

He smiled as she opened the small bag to put a handful of the colorful candies into her mouth, he just couldn't help it, especially when she closed her eyes and let out this small little moan in appreciation.

He smiled also in relief when she didn't ask him why he put them there, because he wouldn't have known what to say.

"Do you want some?"

"No I'm okay." He lifted a hand and shook it as she offered him the bag. Shrugging, she began to pace after that again, eating her candy as she did so.

Blinking a few times, Robin wondered if this was more like the woman she has been before jail, more relaxed, with no chip on her shoulder… because sure, she was drugged with God knew what and the pacing was annoying as hell, but her features and her posture were definitely more laid back.

And well, the Regina Mills he knew her to be would have never offered to share a bag of skittles with him, even if it has been him the one who gave them to her so yes, he wondered…

Actually, the whole thing also made him think of what she said about Whale. She didn't want to go there because she didn't trust the man but here she was, walking all around in her underwear and not really minding that he was there.

"I'm going to leave you here until this wears off and then I'll take you out first thing in the morning, okay?"

"No…" She hurried to say and taking him by surprise, she walked towards the bed and sat over him, each one of her thighs to his sides. "Don't leave."

He scoffed, his hands automatically settling flat over the mattress so he wouldn't be tempted into touching her. "Mills, this… why don't you sit here by my side? I'll stay a while longer if you just sit there."

Resting her hands to his shoulders, the brunette shifted her weight against him, her eyes digging deep into his and her lips parting a little.

"I like it here."

Robin opened his mouth to reply, but instead of speaking he allowed his eyes to dig back into hers, and as he did that she grinded against him, her hips moving in a way that her groin was pressing against certain part of his anatomy that was beginning to be very interested in the woman's movements.

He snorted, a few minutes ago he has been thinking of how he could easily handle her if she got physical and there he was now, just sitting there like a fucking idiot.

"Well I will be more comfortable if you were not doing that."

"Really?" She hummed, finding the perfect spot after some wriggling. She was now perfectly rubbing against his erection, because yes, the woman made him go full hard. "I don't believe you. I've seen you looking at me, you know? At the showers… at the infirmary… here."

Her words were low, her voice sultry, and as she said them she slid her hands to his chest, back to his shoulders and then she wrapped her arms around his neck, getting that way so close to him that he could feel her breathing against his lips and the soft aroma of apples of her shampoo.

"Now I say that you can touch me too."

And fucking shit he would lie if he said that he wasn't tempted to do just that. Just touch her a bit, grab her tits to feel her tight nipples on his palms and fuck yes, fill his hands and squeeze that fine ass she had on her. She was there after all, within reach and yes, with they way she was slowly but steadily moving against him she was more than making his resolution falter…

But no, he wasn't going to do that, he just couldn't.

"I won't… I can't."

"But you want to." She purred, pulling a bit away so that her own hand could slide down her body.

She let it drop down into her panties and when he assumed she reached what she wanted to reach, she moaned.

He looked, he just had to, watching as her fingers moved inside the fabric of her underwear. It was an hypnotic thing and if anything, it made him go even harder if that was possible.

"You're all drugged Mills, trust me, you'll hate yourself in the morning for this and you'll hate me even more for letting you carry on with it."

Running her tongue over her lips, she smirked, taking her hand out of her underwear.

"Now come on and get off."

She laughed, throwing her head back and all. "That's what I'm trying to do, to get off. But you won't let me. God I feel so hot and I need this so just play nice for me, will you?"

With that said, she rubbed two fingers to his lips, she even pushed them into his mouth so they could touch his tongue and it was only then that he realized those were the fingers she used to touch herself.

And just like that his tongue was filled with the intriguing taste of her.

"Jesus Christ, Mills." He hissed, grabbing her hand and pushing it away from his lips. "You know I can't do this, I can easily go to jail just for touching you."

"Then don't, you don't have to touch me."

And apparently she didn't need him to touch her, she did however do some touching herself. She pushed the crotch of her panties to the side and grinded against him, she also ran her nails through his hair and even once pressed her lips to his. She didn't kiss him though, she just brushed her mouth to his, puffing out small breaths.

The whole thing was so wrong but at the same time it felt so good that he didn't make an attempt to stop her.

It made him feel like a total jerk because she wasn't herself and he knew that if he didn't have those beers on him or if he hadn't been worn out after another double shift, that he would have stopped her long ago. But that wasn't the case and in his state he couldn't do anything. He just watched the way her eyes closed and her mouth parted… hell, he even once just concentrated on the way the tip of her tongue ran over her full lips, her hair falling freely over her shoulders while her entire face was taken over by desire.

She was a sight to be seen and he had to put all his will power into not touching her.

"You would if you could?" She asked in a breath, opening her eyes into his. "Touch me? Maybe take off those pants to fuck me right here?"

"Jesus Mills." He mumbled, not really knowing how he went from being in a bar relaxing to being there with this woman dry humping him and making him feel like a bloody kid who could very easily spill all over his own pants if she kept like that…

"Would you? Because I would let you… I would let you do it right now… just to feel you put that cock in me."

"Yeah?"

"Um hum." She hummed, once again brushing her mouth to his.

"Well I can't love, as much as I would like it."

She groaned. "Then would you let me feel you without these pants, keep the underwear but this," She said, touching the bulge in his pants. "Will chafe me raw."

And shit he should say no and just get out of there, but when she started fumbling with his belt he even helped her along. She at least didn't try to take things further and just lowered his pants a little and settled back in place, doing the same she has been doing earlier on but now making him feel it more intensely.

He didn't have now so many layers of clothes to separate them and damn, did it feel good…

He could feel her burning… he could even feel the wetness of her and he couldn't help it, he touched her.

It was a very chaste touch tough, he just placed his hands to her hips to feel the way she moved against him.

"You feel so good like this… oh…" She moaned, grinding harder against him.

Robin sucked in a breath, thinking but not saying that she felt good too. So no, he said nothing, he just let her work herself up and when she looked about to come undone and she told him so, that she was going to cum, he dug his fingers into her flesh and held her as she rode her release away.

Watching her like that almost made him come as well, but he held himself and just enjoyed her ride, his eyes drinking on the image of her in complete abandon. And then when she had nothing more to give she just slumped against him.

"Oh my God."

"You okay?" He asked, feeling ashamed about what he allowed her to do. It shouldn't have happened, he was a guard for crying out loud and she was an inmate under his care.

"Yeah. Do you want me to get you off?" She asked, unashamedly taking a hold of his erection and giving it a few strokes.

It has been through the fabric of his underwear, yeah, but they were soaked with the remains of her own desire so the contact made him suck in a breath.

"No, I'm okay."

"I don't mind."

"Really, it's okay."

She groaned, but when he used his hands on her to make her climb off of him, she complied, accommodating her panties back in place and laying down on the mattress.

"Your loss. I'm going to lay down now."

Robin scoffed, putting his erection back inside his pants and getting ready to leave. He did that in silence, and it was only when he was about to open the door that she called out to him.

"When you jerk that boner off, would you think of me?"

A laugh burst out of him and he looked at her, she was on her back, her legs slightly parted, her eyes still wild looking at him and a sly smirk on her face.

It took everything in him not to walk to her and just fuck her through that bed. "I guess I will."

"Good, I may think of you later on as well. I still feel kind of hot all over."

Robin ran a hand through his hair and sighed, not really knowing what to say. So he said nothing, and with roll of his eyes he just walked out of her cell… part of his mind beating his brain for what he just did and the other one wanting nothing more than getting home and just relieve himself thinking about her.


	5. Chapter 5

Ever since Regina has been sentenced to spend the rest of her life in prison, she has been subjected to things she would've never, not even in her worse nightmares, fathom before.

It was a tragic thing, actually, at least that was the way she saw it because ever since stepping into that hell, her life has simply ceased all normal operations to give way to a new dull existence where she has been relegated to something less than human.

Sure, she has always considered herself to be a strong woman and yes, when she realized that going to prison was a possibility, she has brazed herself for the worse and started with the process of becoming mentally prepared for the whole thing; but she never imagined that it was going to be so bad.

The humiliation, the tumult of emotions raging inside of you, the violence… the constant feeling that each day was going to be worse than the last… it was really an awful, awful thing.

First it has been with the humiliation, and that one started since day one. They aimed to strip her off her dignity the moment they made her take off her clothes so they could hose her down like an animal; and then, when she was trembling, wet and cold, when she was naked and at their mercy, they completed the ordeal by doing a throughout search in every cavity of her body.

They swore it was protocol and yes, she has known that was going to happen, but she hasn't been completely prepared for how denigrating it was going to be.

Not that she gave them the satisfaction of knowing this, no way… if there was something that characterized Regina Mills was how stubborn she was so she endured that and everything else that was to come with her chin held up high.

It was easy, because she would rather strain her neck from keeping her head way up high than drowning with her eyes casted down.

That was the motto she adopted and using it as motivation, she has clenched her jaw and put on her brave face when other inmates tried to mess with her for being the newbie, she bared her teeth and told the prison's doctor to fuck off when he got a bit too friendly and suggested he could make her time there a bit more bearable if she just sucked his cock every now and then, (maybe more if he ever had the need) and she bit her tongue hard enough do draw blood when she was first sent to the hole that first time just for standing up to herself.

So yes, she has gone through all that with a clear head and a sense of auto control. She has also been beaten, shamed, she has been now drugged and overall they've bent her almost to a breaking point… but never before has she felt so mortified as she did when she woke up that morning with the image of an officer waking her up…

And not any officer, nooo because that would have been bearable, but she has been woken up by none other than Robin Locksley himself.

Now… she wouldn't know how to put it or how to explain it, but as soon as she opened her eyes to find him standing there, a collage of images of what happened in that same cell the day before came down on her with enough force to rattle her and she was overcome with a deep sense of embarrassment like she has never felt before.

She couldn't help it, because her behavior with him the day before has been more than a little bit questionable.

It has been… God, she just couldn't believed she acted like that with him.

Sure, she wouldn't say that she was a prude because she was far from it. In fact, she has done a lot of things in her life that could be considered morally questionable and way worse than what took place between her and Robin, but never before had she felt any sense of shame whatsoever by doing them.

Regrets? Sure, many times, actually, but never has she felt overcome with embarrassment in the aftermatch of any of her acts. But this… thing or whatever it has been with the prison guard has been plain and simply wrong.

She basically jumped him; even when he told her several times to back off she cornered him like a sex-crazed slut and went all over him, dry humping him until she came.

"Oh my God." She groaned, her voice a raspy whisper while she covered her face with one of her hands.

"So how are you feeling?" He asked, and with her face still hidden she tried to find in his voice something that would give away what he was really thinking.

She didn't find anything in his tome though, he was using that detached way of speaking the guards used when talking to them inmates and perhaps that right there was all she needed to hear.

He was going to leave her there in solitary for assaulting him because that was what she has done. Hell, it could even come up as sexual assault and wouldn't that be the cherry on top of the cake, to be registered as a sex offender too?

Sure, the fact that she has been drugged could be used as a point to defend herself and maybe even to give her some absolution, but if she has to be a hundred percent honest, she would have to admit that she hasn't been completely out of it.

No, she has been actually very much conscious of everything as it happened. The chemicals in her system just made her feel everything ten times stronger and it has sent her inhibitions straight to hell.

It has been something out of this world, yes, she has felt slightly overheated and touchy, her body buzzing with euphoria and every fiber of her being needing something she didn't quite know how to get… and when she realized that she could satiate that sweet pulsation of her being with him, she just went through with it…

"I feel like shit." She rasped out even when she wasn't particularly feeling unwell. Yes, her mouth felt dry, there was the beginning of a headache menacing to form right behind her eyes and she was a little sore, but there was nothing that could be deemed as grave.

"Here, take this."

Lifting her head up and letting her hand move out of her face, Regina opened her eyes to see that Robin was offering a couple of pills and a bottle of water. She also noticed that he was sitting.

Now, where did he get that chair? She didn't know, but that he was settled in it couldn't mean anything good for her.

It made her think of the way her mother used to grab a chair to sit before giving her and Zelena one of her infamous lectures when they were nothing but girls. The lectures were all well deserved, yes, as Robin's would probably be…

Sighing in preparation, Regina sat down over the bed, taking the pills out of his open palm and swallowing them right before drinking all the water in the bottle.

"Can I go to my cell now?"

She asked that completely aware that she was still in just her panties and a tank top because that's how she fell asleep; she was also going to assume that hair was all messed up and that she could be looking way too pale and yes, it all made her feel too self-conscious.

"You may, in a moment. But first we need to discuss what went on in here and that needs to happen before you cross that door."

Regina blinked slowly, her eyes focusing on a spot right by the door. The wall was scratched there and she wondered how that came to be…

"Now I don't want to come off as a jerk, but I'll have to ask you to keep what happened here under the rug. I know this probably doesn't interest you but I could get in a shitload of trouble if this became public."

Moving the warm chocolate of her eyes to him, Regina let out a bitter chuckle. Of course this was about her keeping her mouth shut. It wasn't going to be about how wrong she has been.

He was a man after all so he wasn't going to accuse her when he probably had his fun at her expense…

"You think I want people to know I was all over a guard while drugged? Oh please. I would rather forget it myself so…" Lifting her shoulders and then letting them drop, she widened her eyes and cut the sentence there.

At her words, Robin nodded, pushing the inside of his cheek with the tip of his tongue. "Right."

Now, as he said that, Regina's eyes found his to look at and for some reason, the memory of how close she has been to him the day before invaded her.

The feeling of his silky hair between her fingers, her mouth brushing against his in hopes that he would go ahead and kiss her, how dark his stare became… how hard he has been beneath her…

It was enough to make her tingle all over.

She ignored the sensation, obviously, and sighing out loud as a way to clear her mind, she went back to reality and to the problem at hand. "I won't tell anyone. And I would appreciate if you didn't either."

"I won't."

"Good." She added, and then, trying maybe to justify herself she went on. "I don't usually jump people like that so you know, I think I have to apologize. I didn't mean to assault you or whatever."

Scoffing, he leaned a bit forward. "No, I think I should be the one who needs to apologize. You were not quite yourself and I knew that; still, I didn't put too much effort into stopping you."

"Well, on your defense I was quite insistent."

His lips curved into a smile and there they were, those dimples on full display and yeah, here was the thing about his rare smiles, once you saw them there was no way to unsee them or to get them off your mind. "Just a little."

Unable to help it, Regina smiled as well. Not necessarily in amusement but in embarrassment. "God, I don't know what got into me."

"You were drugged." He pointed out with a snort, lowering his eyes for a second so that he could stare on his working boots for a few consecutive seconds.

Regina knew she should leave it there, that she should keep that ridiculous episode of her life in that cell and just go out and take care of this Cruella business once and for all; but for some reason, she just ran her hand through her hair as a way to tame down her dark locks before adding to the conversation.

"Just a little."

His eyes went back to hers with their full intensity and she swallowed on dry.

"I mean I wasn't _that_ drugged as not to know what I was doing."

He said nothing, he just studied her, his gaze digging deep into her own eyes. It somehow felt like too much and it made her want to look away.

She didn't, and for a few seconds neither did he.

But then, clearing his throat and pushing his back against the chair, he went back into full guard mode. "Why don't you tell me a little about what's going on between you and Cruella? First it was the incident at the showers…"

"There was no incident at the showers, I fell."

"Sure, that's why you attacked her at the cafeteria, which brings us to a second incident; and as if that wasn't enough, yesterday you two got into a third one, which brings us to this. Why did she drugged you?"

Shrugging and keeping a straight face, Regina narrowed her eyes. "I don't know, maybe she has the hots for me and she was hoping I would jump her. What would I know?"

By the stoic look on his face, she knew he didn't believe her so wanting to change the direction of this conversation, she tried for some dry humor.

"Maybe it would have been better with her because you left me quite sore."

As soon as the words slipped off her mouth, she regretted them. There were a thousand things she could have said and she choose that one… just great.

"Sore? How…?" He asked and he sounded genuinely concerned.

Closing her eyes and twisting her lips, she ran a hand through her hair. "Don't mind me much, my head is still a bit fogged."

"Regina."

Opening her eyes as soon as she heard him call her by her first name instead of Mills or inmate as he ways did, the dark haired sucked her lips into her mouth.

Did he got a bit closer or was she imagining things?

"Did I somehow hurt you? Because… I don't know how could that be since we didn't… you know…"

Before he could keep babbling, Regina lifted a hand and groaned. "No, you didn't hurt me. But those pants can be a little rough and…" She blew out a breath, not sure if it would be appropriate to tell him that the fabric of his underwear hasn't been too kind on her either. "It's nothing, a small price to pay for being too forward."

Besides it wasn't like she was in pain or anything, just a bit sore.

"Do you want to go to the infirmary and see if there's something that can help?"

"Oh God no," She laughed, thinking that Whale would have a field day if she ever walked into his office wanting him to check her lady parts. "Definitely no."

"Alright. Maybe I can bring you something? Not now, obviously because I'm working but on my next shift."

"And when is that?"

He cringed a little at that and his hand went to smooth the outline of his jaw. "Tomorrow, late."

Tilting her head to the side, she narrowed her eyes. By his next shift she would probably feel better already but what the hell, she somehow wanted an excuse to see him again, one on one. No drugs involved.

"Sure. Will you leave it under my pillow or will you give it to me in person?"

His nose scrunched and if she wasn't mistaken he turned a bit red. It made her stare and her eyes sparkle.

Yes, those were dangerous waters she was getting into but hey, it wasn't like she was planning on staying locked up there forever so why not?

Maybe Mal was right, maybe she needed to relieve some of her tension and escape even if it was for a moment from her cruel reality.

Sure, being a guard and all that, she doubted he would want to fully give into the whole thing and she didn't necessarily wanted to fuck him, but she would take whatever he would give. A little chaste flirting… maybe some light touching and kissing, a repeat of the previous day but without the clothes on…

"So I just walk into your cell and give it to you?" He asked, his tone so low it made her feel goosebumps all over her body.

"No, but you can bring it to the library sometime along your shift and maybe I'll go get at night. If you leave the door open, of course."

Robin lowered his eyes and used his hands to scratch along his neck. He was going to say no, she knew it. She saw it in the way his shoulders tensed and his lips pursed.

She wasn't surprised though, just a little disappointed.

"I think I can leave it there around two, I mean I take my lunch break at that hour."

"Hmm," She hummed, trying to suppress the triumphant smile that wanted to break out of her lips. "I guess I'll make sure to go and get it."

Smiling a little, he ran the tip of his tongue over his lips. "You think you can stay out of trouble until then?"

She groaned, leaning a bit forward to get closer to him. "Well… that I can't assure, that… bitch you put in my cell…" She began to say in a hiss, meaning to rant about Emma and how bad she needed to get at her for siding with Cruella; but before she could keep talking, Robin grabbed the back of her head and pulled her towards him, all until his mouth was pressed securely to his.

It completely caught her by surprise so she didn't react to the kiss, and by the time she was starting to crawl out of the initial shock by pressing a bit harder, he was already breaking away from the contact.

It made her crave for more, especially when he licked his lips. "You'll have to stay out of trouble if you want more of that, you think you can do that?"

The bastard… she thought, but she nodded, her eyes blinking rapidly as she watched him get up from his chair to make it to the door.

"Good, now make yourself decent and get back to your cell."

Arching an eyebrow, Regina scoffed, shaking her head while putting on her uniform. After that she washed her hands, splashed some water to her face and then off she went.

She walked as if in a trance, not quite believing what was going on. He kissed her, yes, it has been a chaste little thing that left more to be desired but he kissed her…

And he said there could be more of that if she could keep out of trouble.

Groaning and slapping a hand to her face, Regina wondered how she was going to manage that. Yes, she could have the intention to stay clear of trouble but most of the time, trouble came from and external source.

Like what was she supposed to do if Cruella came back to mess with her? And how could she remain as if nothing happened when it came to Emma?

With those thoughts swirling in her brain, Regina walked into her cell. Luckily, Swan wasn't there, just Ursula and what appeared to be a sleeping Mal.

Her friend was covered head to toe and Regina couldn't help but to think how weird that was since it was pass the woman's sleeping hours.

"Thank God you're here, I tried, I really did but…" Shrugging and walking right by her, Ursula patted Regina's shoulder and then she went away.

The words and the gesture made her frown and worry a bit, thing that made her go straight to Mal's bed. "Hey." She said, taking the blanket away to find the blonde slightly twitching and curled up.

It took her only a second to understand what was going on. The woman was drugged.

"Jesus, Mal…" She said, her mood completely changing. She couldn't help it, it has been months since she last saw her like that and she didn't like it. Not after the hell they both went through trying to get her clean. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry…" Her friend and cellmate sniffed and groaning in frustration, Regina climbed into bed with her. "I'm so sorry. I tried not to and I started looking for you but I couldn't find you… I couldn't…"

"It's okay." Regina said through clenched teeth, laying by her side and smoothing the woman's hair with her right hand.

If it was possible, she was starting to hate Cruella and Gold even more, because in a way, even if it was indirectly, they were responsible for Mal's relapse.

"But you know you can't keep doing this, not if you and I want to get out of here, you know that right?"

"I know." She replied, her voice shaky as Regina kept running her fingers through her hair. "And when we will leave? Because I need to get out of here… or I'll go crazy."

Sucking in a breath and staring into the ceiling, Regina thought about her sister out there moving her cards right. She had pure aces so it was all about timing now. "Soon, I hope… soon…"


	6. Chapter 6

He was losing it, he was definitely losing it. There was no other way to explain why the hell did he just kiss a bloody inmate and no, there was no other reason to justify why after the mess he made out of the previous night, he just went ahead of himself and kissed her.

He didn't really understand why he did it, why he just sent everything to hell and decided to make it all worse by planting a smooch right on her lips because yes, making everything a hell of a lot worse was exactly what he did.

It was like this; what happened a few minutes ago in that cell with Regina wasn't supposed to go like that, not even by a long shot because that was not how he has planned their encounter to be.

Now it was true that ever since he walked out of that prison the night before with the scent of her arousal permeated into him and the intensity of her gaze incrusted in his mind, he hadn't been able to ban her from his psyche and yes, it was true that after an extremely shameful moment were he just had to jerk off to the memory of her during his shower, he has gone to bed thinking of her; but it was also true that when he woke up that morning, the first clear thought to run through his mind was that he couldn't let something like that happen again.

It was soon after making that decision that he knew he needed to have a serious talk with her about their more that shady one on one. It was supposed to be more of a monologue, he has even practiced what to say and how to say it and overall, the talk was going to be limited to clear things out and pin point that what happened between them not only has been wrong, but that it should never happen again.

That was supposed to be it, nothing more, nothing less. Hell, he has even started right… but at the end, his resolution just didn't age that well.

Now he crossed a line, because not only did he kissed her, but he also made plans with her to meet in a secluded part of the prison at two in the fucking morning on his following shift…

Snorting in disbelief at his own stupidity and why not admit it, his weakness, Robin Locksley walked with secure steps through the intricate corridors of the prison, his trained eyes on the lookout but his mind traveling a thousand miles an hour out of his own head and getting lost once again in thoughts of her, of Regina.

Now, he didn't really know what it was about the woman that had the capacity of making him loose all trace of common sense, but sometime along their talk the promise he made to himself of getting his mind straight when it came to her went down the drain… and it went down quickly.

He tried not to let that happen but as it seemed, the whole essence of her simply woke in him some of his most deviant desires.

What could he say on his defense? The woman just carried this mysterious aura that seemed to call to him and well, she was fit as hell too; so after the encounter they had where she basically went off in his arms with that look of complete abandon taking over her features, he became totally enraptured by her.

By the memory of her small frame pressed to him and by how her hips moved searching for her release as she rubbed herself to his cock. Then it was the taste of her after she wiped the wetness of her arousal to his tongue and the soft moans torn out of her throat as she came undone…

It was just too much and like he stated, he was weak. That's why he ended up getting so lost into the moment, because the memory of the night before was too fresh in his mind and he hadn't been prepared to deal with the way her voice sounded when waking up, so raspy and sultry, or how her hair all tousled from sleep edged between being endearingly cute and bloody sexy and yeah, why not admit it, on how her long exposed legs gave way to her strong thighs and that perfect ass she carried.

Add to that how her warm brown chocolate eyes were fixed so deep into his, how her pouty lips looked so inviting and soft and how she subtly flirted with him and that has been it. He did it, he kissed her and he fucking messed up.

It has been awfully wrong of him and probably, the best he could do now was skip the secret meeting with her and just forget about his little lapse of judgement.

Sure, after his shift ended he could get for her the whatever it was that she needed to help with the discomfort in her… well, her lady parts and yes, to make up for the misunderstanding he could also get her a few more packs of candy and leave them for her at the library; but he should never, under any circumstances meet up with her in private. Not ever again.

He was risking too much as it was, not only his job, but also his freedom as he could very well be arrested and charged with misconduct in public office and face some time in prison himself.

He didn't need that, so staying away was for the best. It was simple like that because attracted to her or not, Regina Mills was an inmate, a very problematic one who happened to be serving a life sentence and who was being currently investigated by the FBI, so no, he didn't need to complicate his existence even more that what it already was.

Chewing on the inside of his cheek and feeling positive that keeping on his lane was the best he could do, the prison guard used his ID card to open the gate that lead to the security area and marched straight into the camera room, his mind set up into keeping her out of his mind for good.

Now once in there he found Jones and Mulan, the man with his eyes glued to the monitors as he bit almost furiously into a beef jerky and the woman absentmindedly reading through the incident book.

"Anything new?" He asked, getting into full working mode as he pulled a chair to sit in the middle of the room.

Putting the book down and giving him one of her eye rolls, the woman shrugged. "Nah, same shit different day. Zero incidents so far, Cruella and her girls are still in isolation like you asked last night and… did you get Mills out?"

Shifting a bit uncomfortably, Robin cleared his throat. "She's out."

"Did she look any better? Because last night she was…" Mulan made a motion with her hands that Robin didn't really care to watch so he just grabbed for a pen and started to press the push bottom. "I mean I don't like woman, she acts too bitchy, but what Cruella did was just wrong."

"She's good." He replied way too quick and wanting to change the subject he went on. "How about you, Jones, anything to report?"

Jones said nothing, thing that was unusual for him because he would never shut up, so finding his lack of response to be odd, Robin sent a look his way.

"Jones, everything alright there?"

"Yup."

"He's been acting weird." Mulan said and just as before, their fellow correctional officer said nothing.

Wanting to see what was holding his interest, Robin followed his gaze to the monitor in front of him only to find out he was focusing on cell 316, which happened to be Regina's.

That right there almost made him freak out, he even chocked a little and had to cough it up, but when he noticed the dark-haired woman wasn't there he relaxed a little. There was only Ursula.

"What's going on there?" He asked, reaching for a bottle of water out of the small office fridge and gulping it down.

As if he has been caught doing something wrong, Killian Jones startled and he even dropped the jerky. "Oh, nothing… I um, I'm pretty much sure Efficent is drugged out of her wits. Look at her laying there in the middle of the day."

Robin looked. Of course, the camera was a bit far so it wasn't like he could have a clear image, but now that Killian pointed it out yeah, he could see there was someone covered head to toe on the top bunk to the right. He immediately knew it was Mal because her bed was opposite to Regina's.

"Drugged? The woman has been sober for months now." He knew because the inmates who had a history of drug abuse were tested regularly and hers have been coming up clean.

"You know what they say, once an addict always an addict."

Robin hummed, knowing that if she was really drugged, Mary Margaret was going to ask them to do a throughout search in that cell to find whatever substance they could get.

She had a policy of zero drugs and zero contraband and she was very serious with it, but the thing with those women was that they were crafty in their ways and they hadn't been able to completely eradicate the problem.

"Fuck." He mumbled because the last things he needed were one, having Blanchard chewing his ass because the drug thing and two, having to check that specific cell. Those kinds of check-ups always meant the inmates would have to be frisked and he didn't want to frisk Regina…

Well… maybe he did, but not in a professional way and that was the root of the problem.

But maybe, just maybe, if he went for it right in that moment, he could get the cell swept before Regina would get there and that would save them both from the awkwardness of the moment…

"We should go in there and do a search. We should also take the inmate to isolation if she's really on something, you know the big boss will ask for it eventually. She's cranky as it is with the thing with Cruella."

"No." Killian blurted out. "I mean… whatever drug she could have she already snorted it or whatever so… I'll be checking on her, see if I get who's selling that shit to her and all that stuff, but if we go to her now that she's drugged we will loose the chance. Besides who knows what kind of rubbish that smelly hippie would say now that she's stoned."

Robin was about to say a big no to that logic, but before he could open his mouth, he saw through the monitor how Regina just entered the cell and clenching his jaw, he cussed under his breath.

"I still find it odd that she's drugged. I mean she looked fine last night when you took her out of Cruella's cell. Mills was out of it but Mal was fine so whatever happened was after that. Do you know what happened, Jones? You were the last one with her."

Killian scoffed, in Robin's eyes way too dramatically… thing that was kind of suspicious. He knew how all the guards operated in that prison and he has never liked the man's wicked ways and pervy comments about the inmates… and somehow he had a bad feeling in his gut about this.

And his gut was rarely wrong.

"Nothing happened to her. She's a fucking addict, and she will always be. That's all there is to this. And now look at this other one, a bloody enabler."

Looking back at the monitor, Robin watched how Regina climbed to bed with Mal. He has never seen the woman do something like that so this definitely caught his attention.

"Look at that, there's no way Mal's not eating sweet cheeks' pussy over there."

"Ugh, you're so disgusting." Mulan replied, making a grimace.

"Come on, don't be naïve, just look at them."

"Yeah I'm looking you big dummy and I'm telling you're disgusting. Oh and just so you know, Mills doesn't play for the team, I mean I've heard quite a few complains about her turning down all kind of offers. It seems she has quite a few admires on their toes."

Grabbing harder for the pen and tapping it compulsively to his thigh, Robin used his other hand to scratch along his neck, refusing to take part on this conversation. No, instead of that he did something even more wrong, and that was watch as Regina smoothed Mal's hair.

She was doing it almost tenderly but no, unlike Jones he didn't see it as something sexual. It was more comforting than anything else and once again, seeing the human nature out of a woman he has believed to be cold and detached just a week ago stirred something in him.

It also made him remember how she ran her fingers through his hair as she straddled him, her eyes wild… the scent of her shampoo entrancing him…

"Well if it's a dick what she's looking for I have one right here ready for her."

"You are such a fucking pig." Mulan complained as Robin closed his fingers tighter around the pen, his head moving towards Jones' direction so he could shoot him with a hard glance.

"What? You know how it is with these women. They are always…"

"I think we've heard enough, Jones so shut it." Robin said at last. "Mulan, you keep an eye on Efficent, we don't need this wanker weaving his dick down there with the inmates."

"Yes sir."

"You are no fun mate, no fun."

Returning his eyes to the monitor so he could watch Regina, Robin couldn't help but to think that no, that he was indeed no fun…

**XxXxXxX**

He was not going to come. She knew that as soon as she walked into the library to find it completely empty.

Sure, she has walked in there at least ten minutes before the accorded time, but the fact that she found the door open and Robin nowhere to be found told her all she needed to know.

It was disappointing, true, but if she had to be honest, she would have to admit that she has been well aware that him not showing up was a huge possibility, as it was obvious that the man apparently had more sense in his mind than her.

That came as no surprise, actually, because the sad reality was that Regina has never been known for making the best decisions and simply jumping head first into the wrong choices; the fact that she was in jail was the best proof to that.

Snorting and running a hand through her hair, the brown eyed woman sat on top of the desk, her feet dangling as she couldn't quite reach the floor and her eyes trying to adjust to the darkness.

Now, the thing about her having no sense whatsoever was her harsh reality because she knew very damn well that she shouldn't be there, as she was putting herself in a very dangerous scenario.

It was like this, she didn't really know this man and she has willingly walked into a situation she could end up regretting.

Yeah… she has heard stories of how brutal some of the guards were with the inmates and how they liked abusing the power they had over them by doing things that could be considered denigrating. They would do it whether the inmate was willing or not so yeah, she shouldn't have put herself in that situation in the first place.

That was what half her brain told her, because the other half would just argue that if Robin would have wanted to do any of those humiliating things she has heard of, he would have done it already.

He had quite a few opportunities for that and he didn't take them. First when they were at the showers, if not then it could have been at the infirmary and then in solitary…

But he didn't, so yeah, she trusted her gut and just went with the flow.

The only problem? After she made herself ready by straightening her hair, scrubbing herself head to toe with her best body wash and even putting on a bit of lip-gloss, Robin never showed up.

He plain and simply stood her up…

Lowering her head and taking in a deep breath, Regina wondered if she has read him wrong. Maybe he was simply not interested; she was after all nothing but an inmate and he probably had better options who were not confined behind the elongated stainless steel bars of a prison cell.

"Yeah…" She mumbled. He was probably even married or living with his super hot girlfriend so why would he bother with the likes of her?

Feeling a little stupid for harboring false hopes, she clenched her jaw and decided to go back to her cell. She also swore to herself right there that next time she saw him she was going to ignore him so bad that he was even going to doubt about his own existence.

Sure, he probably wouldn't care or even notice but it would at least give her some sort of satisfaction.

With that in mind, she nodded her head and patting the hard surface of the desk a couple of times, she made herself ready to jump to her feet; but… before she could do it, her eye caught the silhouette of someone walking through the corridor and yes, straight towards her.

The image made her freeze, first because she didn't recognize him and her alert levels shoot to the roof, then because she realized it was him and she honestly didn't know how to act or what to say.

She just bit hard on her lips as her breath caught in her throat.

"Hey." He said once he was closer and yes, it was definitely him. Sure, she couldn't clearly see him in the dark, but that voice was so deep into her brain that she would recognize it under any circumstances.

"Hey." She said back, her fingers closing over the edge of the desk. "I thought you were not coming, I was about to leave just now."

He snorted, the sound coming off almost nervously as he lifted one hand to the back of his neck. "Well… I wasn't going to come, actually."

Regina just blinked, and when she saw him put a paper bag to her side she suddenly got it. He came to give her the stuff he promised and that was it.

Scoffing and lowering her head until she could feel her hair brushing against her cheeks, Regina bit hard on her lips. It was okay… she understood and yes, it was definitely better that way… but somehow, that he wasn't kissing her senseless by then like she wanted to was extremely disappointing.

She hadn't necessarily wanted or expected sex out of this encounter, even when she has prepped herself for it, but a nice make out, the kind with lots of kissing and maybe some touching would have been okay by her.

"Alright I didn't exactly know what to get you so… I really hope this helps. Are you still feeling uncomfortable?"

"It's better now." She shrugged, her voice almost devoid of any emotion.

To that, he didn't say anything back but because he was just standing there as if he was waiting on her, she grabbed the bag and opened it.

Inside there was a small tube of what she assumed was what he got for her soreness, but there were also two packs of skittles and a small box of chocolate truffles and no, not the kind you would find at the local drug store.

He probably had to go to a specific place to get them and that only meant that he has been somewhere out there thinking about her.

For some reason that made her ego soar and unable to help it, she chuckled, tilting her head up so that she could look at his face. It was dark, true, and most of his features were obscured by the lack of light, but because her eyes were already used to it she could clearly distinguish the outline of his lips and the sparkle in his blue eyes.

"I didn't know if you like chocolate but you know… I just them there and I had to get them for you." He shrugged, chewing on his lips. "It's okay, if you don't like them."

"Oh I love it, you can never go wrong with chocolate, or with this." She said, taking the skittles and showing them to him. "But you are going to spoil me if you keep bringing me stuff… which I don't mind, obviously." And really, it was even silly to think how little it took for her to feel content with what she could get now that she was in prison. "Thanks."

"It was no problem."

Letting her eyes drop from his, Regina opened the box of chocolates and took one out. She did it feeling very conscious of the way he was closely observing her and that's exactly why she bit slowly into half of one, savoring and being swept over with the creamy richness of it before offering the other half to him.

"No it's okay." He said and his voice was so low in his throat that she couldn't help but to feel a small shiver run down her spine.

"Mmm," She hummed, swallowing the chocolate before speaking. "Come on, you said you were not coming so you probably would have ended up eating this anyway."

His lips curved into half a smile. "Actually I would have found another way to give them to you. Like in solitary, because we both know you'll somehow get yourself in trouble and end up there."

His tone didn't come off as flat and menacing so she was going to take he was teasing her. This was actually a new for her so she just arched an eyebrow, and then before she could make up her mind about how to respond, he leaned forward and bit into the chocolate while she held it to his mouth.

The act made her part her lips and draw on a breath, because when he retreated back into his place he did it with his eyes glued to hers.

It was like they were tiptoeing around each other so smiling, she decided to be a little more forward. Just a little though.

"You think so? I mean I've been keeping myself out of trouble these past few days. Of course, I was promised something out my efforts but still."

He snorted, lowering his head for a second. He was probably trying to find an excuse to throw her way as of why he wasn't kissing her like he had implied he would do so that was probably going to end in nothing, yet still, she was enjoying very much his reaction.

"You're right…" He said, straightening his head and placing the palms of his hands flat against the desk, each one at either side of her. "You were indeed offered something."

Feeling as he leaned closer into her, Regina lowered her eyes to his lips. He was going to kiss her… he definitely was going to kiss her and she once again felt frozen on the spot as he got nearer and nearer.

By the time his lips grazed against hers and then his teeth pinched her bottom lip to give it a light pull, she was sure she was going to melt.

The whole thing felt surreal, especially when he put a bit more pressure into the contact.

Now, not really wanting to stay still, Regina tilted her head to the other side and put some pressure of her own, her mouth parting the sightless bit so that her tongue could sneak out and brush against his lips.

Robin took the hint, and when he parted his own lips and allowed his tongue to brush against hers, Regina couldn't help but to hum.

That right there made him pull away, almost as if everything about her was burning him. "You're going to get me in so much trouble." He hissed. He was still close, so close she could feel his breath on her lips.

Not really knowing what to say to that, Regina lifted her face to him. It made their noses bump and almost as if that triggered something in him, Robin grabbed her face and kissed her again.

This time there were not much preambles, he just pushed his tongue deep into her mouth and let it slide warmly against her own, stroking it and coaxing her to reciprocate.

She did, her hands holding on his strong upper arms as his fingers slid into her hair.

Now kissing, it has been such a long time since she indulged in such a fine pleasure that she was taking it all as if the sensations were brand new. How her tongue would submit to dominance, how it felt to have someone cradling her head while running their fingers over her scalp and yes, that sweet tingling sensation running all through her body to finally settle right between her legs.

It felt so good and she wanted more.

With that in mind, she lowered her hands to his hips, pulling at his shirt to get it out of his pants. It gave away easy enough and when that was done, she slid her hand underneath the fabric, the tip of her fingers running up his sides, to his back and then to his stomach.

He felt good, smooth and yet hard and so, so warm.

"Okay." He puffed out a breath, pulling away from the kiss but letting his forehead rest against hers. "I think… I should go."

"Really?" She asked, breathless, lowering one of her hands from where it has been on his chest and letting it drop to the bulge forming on his pants. It was bold and she knew it, but she didn't really want him to go. "You are going to go like this?"

"Regina." He hissed. It was a warning, but she paid no attention to it and instead stroked the length of him until he was fully hard.

"Let me take care of this."

"Trust me, there's nothing I would like more than that… but I can't… this is wrong."

And yet, he made no further protest when she startled fumbling with his belt and then with his zipper and the button of his pants. When she fished inside his boxers and wrapped her fingers around his cock, he just sucked in a breath.

"Still want me to stop?" She asked, going up to the already moistened crown of his erection and then down to the base of it, her thumb spreading some of his precum so that her movements could be smoother. Then up and down she went, loving the thickness of him and how good he felt in her hand.

"You don't want to touch me?"

He kissed her instead, hard and deep, then as she kept pumping him he moved his hands down and grabbed a handful of her breasts. He squeezed a little and weighed her in, but he just did that just long enough to have a good feel of her before continuing his journey even lower, down pass her stomach and right between her legs.

Humming against her mouth, Robin touched her there, his whole palm settling to her groin and rubbing her. "Will I hurt you like this?"

She shook her head no because she was fine already and she liked how that felt, but then thinking better of it she ran the tip of her tongue across his lips and finished by biting into his mouth. "Not if you do it under my clothes."

"Okay."

Swallowing hard down, she felt his fingers wrestle pass the elastic of her sleeping uniform and then into her panties; his whole hand curving perfectly over her sex.

"Is this okay?"

"Yes." She replied, eyes closed and her hand stopping for a second so she could gather a bit of senses into her mind. He wasn't doing much, true, but it was enough to make her hum low in her throat.

"How about this?" His fingers dragged as far as they could, almost reaching the curve of her ass to then slide back. "Is it okay?"

"Jesus Robin, I won't break so just… just touch me like you want to."

Snorting, he repeated the motion a few times, just fondling her a little and making her feel like she was burning, but then when he used his middle finger to part her inner lips and press against her slit and then up her clit, she moaned and arched against him.

"You are so wet, is that for me?" He asked, his voice raspy and so alluring.

"Yes." She replied, releasing his erection for a second so that she could bring her hand to her mouth. Once there she licked it, moistening it a bit so that she could go back to stroking him.

"Shit…" He growled, his fingers manipulating her clit until she just had to moan again.

"Okay, babe… as much as I like to hear you like this, you'll have to keep it low."

"I know… God that just feels so good."

Instead of replying he kissed her back, going a bit further this time and sliding a finger deep into her. It made her moan again and her hips jumped in response, but whatever sound she made got swallowed into his mouth.

Soon after, a second finger was added to his ministrations and Regina knew she was going to be a goner soon, especially with the friction he was applying to her clit and the feeling of his cock so hard in her hand.

"Fuck, how I wish you would be inside of me." She hissed after breaking the kiss to look at him.

He looked like a dream even in the darkness, his face a mask of pure concentration.

"I wish I could see you better too."

"I know, me too."

"Oh my God." Her momentous was close, so close she could even taste it.

"I wish it was my cock in you, fucking you nice and slow, taking my time until you came all over me, moaning in that sexy way of yours."

"Oh I'd love that…" Her hand pumped his erection a bit faster, making him growl and then, with a flicker on her clit she felt the pressure let go, exploding right in front of her eyes as he kept working on her, his fingers deep in her as she clenched her inner muscles.

She moaned out loud, she couldn't help it and he pressed his mouth to hers to muffle the sound.

It was amazing, he felt amazing and without letting go of him, she rode her climax down.

"How did that feel?"

"Amazing." She replied after a couple of seconds as she slumped against him, completely focused now on making him reach the edge.

It didn't take long, and when he told her he was close she kissed him hard and worked him until she felt his hips jerk and her hand getting soaked with his cum.

He groaned and growled and she loved it, his kiss becoming erratic and his breathing coming out as labored. It made her feel hot all over and yes, she knew right since that moment that this couldn't just be the last time they would do something like this.

"Well that was… interesting." She purred, looking down to where her hand was holding his still erected manhood.

It was a mess down there, but it looked damn hot.

"Shit… I didn't… I don't have anything to clean this mess."

Biting her tongue, she wiped his cock clean to her thigh, watching as he began to flatten back to normal. "Good thing tomorrow is laundry day."

Robin scoffed, looking at her. "Regina…"

Before he could begin apologizing or babbling about how wrong this has been and all that bullshit, Regina grabbed his head and pulling him to her, she kissed him.

The kiss was slow, almost tender and when she pulled back, his eyes remained closed a second longer. "No regrets okay? This was good. Only that maybe next time you may have to finish in my mouth, you know, to avoid the mess."

He sucked in a breath and Regina smiled. Her words got his attention alright, which was what she has been aiming for as it almost secured another encounter. Now, whether she would let him cum in her mouth or maybe do a bit more was about to be seen…

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

She could feel the intensity of his eyes piercing through her. More than feeling it she could visualize it… vivid blue eyes glued to her back as she walked with secure steps into the prison's yard.

He followed her all along the way... the stare so intense she could almost feel it burning her skin, and as she moved from one point to the other she couldn't help but to wonder how was it that his gaze on her felt like a tangible thing.

She didn't know how it was possible, but even from afar his deep blue orbs were capable of making every fiber of her being feel alive, almost tingling. They were also making her stomach tie in a knot and they were definitely sending a chill to run down her spine.

Needless to say, the sensation of his eyes fixed on her was a hard one to ignore.

It was all fine with her though, after all if she has walked into that area in the first place it was because she knew he was going to be there. Yes, she has been aware of his presence, the same way she has known that as soon as she walked right in front of him his eyes were going to be on her, scrutinizing each and every one of her movements as she gracefully sauntered around.

That was what she has been aiming for, so when the corner of her lips turned into a satisfied smile, she didn't try to hide it.

What could she say? For the past few days she has tried to plot for a perfect opportunity like the one at hand to come without having too much luck, but now, as if destiny wanted it too, the chance just presented itself and that was extremely satisfying.

The best part? She didn't even have to lift a finger or move mountains to make it happen.

No, the opportunity just fell on her feet when Mal suddenly announced that she was feeling claustrophobic in their cell and that she needed to go outside to breathe some fresh air. She has seemed to be a little shaken so of course Regina jumped out of her bunk bed to go with her, her intensions not entirely altruistic, obviously.

But anyway, for the quick trip outside, Ursula tagged along too and for Regina's plan, that made it even better.

Actually, it was perfect; taking Mal to the yard was a great excuse for her to be seen outside… yes, an excuse, because even though she has been itching to get at least a good look at _him_, she hadn't wanted to just stroll through the outdoors space aimlessly and make it obvious that she was there because of him.

It was not her style to go wandering on her own, especially during yard time, so if she would have done that, Robin would have caught on that… and she really, really didn't want him to know how bad she has wanted to see him.

"God, I'm dying for a smoke." Mal announced, her voice a bit too high as she fished into her pocket to take a cigarette out. She lit it in a matter of nothing, her hands a little shaky as she inhaled with her eyes closed.

Now Mal… ever since her latest relapse, the woman has been acting on edge. She was jumpy, easily distracted and the spark that characterized her was long gone. It definitely made Regina worry a bit but she didn't take it as something so serious, after all she has been exactly like this when she first met her.

It has actually taken a lot of effort from Regina's part and a lot of patience to get her clean so yeah, in part it was frustrating to see her acting like this once again; especially since the woman has shut down and refused to talk about what triggered her to do drugs again but no, this really wasn't something that took her completely by surprise.

Was she disappointed? Yes, but not entirely surprised…

Taking in a deep breath that was meant to prevent her mind from drifting towards Mal again, Regina bit into the inside of her cheek. Sure, she cared about the woman and she needed her clean and sober to carry on with their plan of escaping that damn prison, but in that specific day, she didn't want to worry about that. No, that day she wanted her focus on someone else; specifically on the correctional officer standing by the fence, the one she was sure was looking at her.

"Did you know that technically speaking, if you came out for a smoke, the whole thing fails into the category of breathing fresh air?" Ursula said as they walked across the yard.

"Shut up, Ursula."

Not bothering to comment on her friend's back and forth, Regina just half listened to their cellmates, her eyes searching through the area for a spot that wasn't crowded and of course, from where she could sit while being able to look at Robin… or more specifically, from where _he_ could look at _her_.

"I hate this fucking yard. I mean where's the green? Where are the damn trees and where's our damn shadow?"

"Here we go again." Mal mumbled behind a curtain of cigarette smoke as Ursula began another one of her rants and yes, as always, loud enough for everyone to hear.

On her part, Regina found the perfect spot to sit so swirling around on the sole of her prison's sneakers, she lowered herself until she was down, her back resting to the fence and her face lifting a little into the late afternoon's sun.

From there, the panorama allowed her to have a nice view to where Robin was standing, he was after all less than fifteen feet away from her; but not wanting to look too eager, the brunette prisoner kept her eyes from meeting his as she searched into the pocket of her pants to grab the candy she has been keeping there.

It was one of the packs of skittles he gave her last time they have been able to steal a little time alone, and she has been keeping that one intact until the right moment would find its way to her.

And that moment, has just arrived.

"You could at least let us have some plants. A bonsai tree maybe, one for each you know, in a cute little pot like some kind of occupational therapy instead of making us sit on the sun with all this ugly concrete. Hey, are you listening to me, pretty boy?"

Regina's face tilted a bit to the right because she knew Ursula, bless her soul, has just spoken to Robin, and she took that as her cue to finally settle her eyes on him freely, just as she has been wanting to do for almost a week.

Well, it was more like four days to be more precise but who really kept count? She knew damn well she didn't because… well, because there came a time in prison when the notion of time would get so distorted in your mind that all days started to blend together and keeping count was not only almost impossible, but also a waste of time.

Not like that mattered; whatever time it passed it has been too long. Sure, she has seen the man a few times since that fateful night but just in passing glances and never after their time at the library has she crossed a word with him.

Now he was there, in day broad light and damn he looked good.

She wasn't sure what it was but he looked even better than what she has seen of him… hell, now that she could take a really good look of him she couldn't help but to think that his uniform's fit should be banned from a woman's prison because it was making the muscles of his arms stand out and his butt look particularly appealing.

It also hinted at how toned his stomach was and that was without mentioning the strong outline of his shoulders and the more than interesting broadness of his back.

He just looked to die for.

Nodding her approval, her eyes took on other things as well, like how his hair looked soft and a bit lighter in color, making her want to run her fingers through the silky locks once again, on how his eyes were impossibly blue in the sunlight and on how the outline of his jaw was an interesting thing to see from her vantage point.

Too bad he wasn't looking at her in that moment and was instead looking at her cellmate…

"Are you ignoring me now, really?" Ursula pressed on, making Robin turn a little.

Regina just watched, opening the pack of skittles and pouring some of the colorful shells into her hand so that she could start eating from her palm as her eyes kept drinking on the image of Robin.

He looked serious, just as he always looked when he was on duty, his face a stoic mask that gave nothing away and his lips a thin line that made him look almost severe.

"Nobody is forcing you to be out here, Sea. So if you don't like the view feel free to return to your cell at stare at the walls in there."

The asshole, Regina thought, but she did so letting her eyes roam down his chest and to his stomach. She has touched him there, and now she wondered how would he look like without the shirt… and how would it feel to have him completely naked and pressed to her.

She would probably never know, but that didn't take from the fact that she wanted to feel him that way… or that she wanted more than what she got last time.

"To my cell, really?" Ursula yelped a bit too dramatically before going on with her nonsense about trees and fountains for the yard, meanwhile, Robin's eyes shifted the slightest bit… just a little, until they landed on the sitting form of Regina.

Choosing that moment to grab a few more skittles between her fingers, the brown eyed woman brought the sweets to her mouth to chew on them, her eyes locked with his as all her senses went in overload with the fruity-flavored treats.

His face remained stoic as the little exchange took place, but even in the distance she could take on the sparkle in his eyes as he stared at her; it made her heart skip a beat, but she was well aware that it could mean so much… or nothing at all so she didn't react to it.

It was just that… she honestly didn't know where she was standing with him; for all she knew he could have been evading her all this time so instead of making pretty eyes at him she just matched the seriousness of his demeanor.

What could she say to that? She has never been gushy nor the type of woman who would immediately swoon at a man's feet just because he looked nice or because he kissed ridiculously good. At least not until she was sure where she was with him and with Robin she didn't know. That's why she kept her eyes fixed on his, trying to read something out of this less than ideal encounter.

Now, doing that felt almost as if she was competing in a staring contest she couldn't lose. It was intense… it made all her senses stand on edge and as a direct consequence, for the next few consecutive seconds Regina didn't see or heard anything, it was just Robin and her in that yard.

All until he arched an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side.

Chewing on her skittles, Regina pouted her lips a little, her chin lifting even more as she blinked ever so slowly. Then, taking as a good sign the fact that he wasn't looking away, she lifted the red skittles bag a little, almost as if she was offering him some.

That right there did it, it made the corner of his mouth twitch almost as if he was going to break into a smile.

He didn't, of course he didn't, but it was enough for Regina to know that he wasn't completely immune to her and well, because of that she smiled a little in triumph.

Now if she could only talk to him…

"That fucking bitch." Mal hissed under her breath and before Regina could even register what was going on, her friend was sprouting to her feet.

She did it so quickly that Regina didn't even have time to react, and when she finally did Mal was already walking rapidly towards the group of women that just walked into the yard.

It was Cruella and her entourage… making their grand entrance as if they owned the damn place.

It bothered her, how could it not? After all the woman was the root of her latest problems and just by seeing her there, she knew how things were going to end that day.

She saw it coming clear as day, another round of trouble coming her way so taking in a deep breath, she put the skittles back into her pocket and got to her feet as well… trying her best to ignore Robin's warning glare.

Now, Cruella; ever since the little incident when the vile woman and her group ambushed her and drugged her, she has been missing in action, so was Emma, and rumor had it that they were all in solitary.

Regina believed that was the case, and she was aware _that_ has been the main reason why she has remained problem free as of late, because they were all locked away; but now that the women were all out things were going to start all over again.

"Shit." Ursula cursed and breaking into a run, she tried to stop Mal as she advanced forward.

Regina just walked slowly and with no sense of hurry whatsoever, knowing damn well that she wasn't going to run, not for Cruella anyway.

Besides there was no way she could do anything to Cruella without the guards breaking it off and sending her to the hole again so why bother?

So she walked, moving slowly while taking a furtive glance out of the corner of her eye to see how Robin was also making his way to where Cruella stood. He wasn't running either, but he was moving faster than her.

"Well look who we have here, Regina fucking Mills and her pack of bitches. I believe one is missing right?" Cruella said with a mocking grin as she lifted both hands in the air, apparently waiting for Mal to attack. "Send them all if you don't have the guts to come after me yourself."

"You know I don't have to send anyone. You on the other hand can't come near me without your lackeys all around you. Why would that be? Afraid I'll knock the rest of your teeth out?"

Cruella groaned as Regina smirked, licking her teeth teasingly, but instead of replying, her nemesis' eyes moved to the furious woman approaching her.

"Tell that to your junkie here."

"Mal, come on is not worth it." Ursula added.

Not listening, Mal finally reached her, but instead of charging like everyone was expecting, she kept going, aiming for Emma instead.

That right there happened fast, taking everyone by surprise, including Emma, so when Mal tackled the woman to the ground she did nothing but gasp and take the hit.

Once they were both down, Regina's friend wrapped her hands around the other blonde's throat and squeezed, all the inmates gathering around too stunned to react.

"I'll fucking kill you." Mal hissed.

"What the…" Emma snapped back to reality, using her hands and legs to repel the attack.

"Come on, cut it off." Robin was the first to arrive and he effectively grabbed for Mal and made her loosen her grip on Emma.

"I'll kill you, Swan, I'm going to fucking kill you so you better sleep with one eye open."

Making Mal get to her feet, Robin basically shoved her to Ursula. "Get her out of here before I decide to take her to solitary. You too, Mills, get out."

Halting abruptly on her tracks and doing a double take as Ursula took Mal away, Regina scoffed, her eyes moving from Cruella to Robin for a second. "Me? I haven't done anything."

And she really hadn't, she didn't even know what made Mal react like that to Emma.

"Aww don't take her away, darling, we are just starting to get fun in here."

"Yeah? How about I send you back to solitary? De Vil, would that be fun enough for you?"

"Ugh, party pooper." Cruella rolled her eyes. "But don't worry, Regina and I are on another level now. In fact, I just came to deliver a message." Laughing, the woman threw her head back. "Now listen well… how's your daddy?"

"What did you just say?" At the question thrown her way, Regina's jaw tensed and her chest tightened a little.

"Your daddy, you know, the one with the black Mercedes and-"

Before Cruella could finish, Regina lunged forward, her intentions striking the other inmate just for daring mentioning her father, but Robin's reflexes were on point and he grabbed her before she could do such a thing.

"Easy there, Regina. If I were you I would use all that energy to go make a call home to check how's daddy."

Baring her teeth, Regina tried to break free of the hold, but Robin was holding tight, his arm secure around her waist as her back pressed to him.

"Let me go." She hissed, feeling annoyed by the restriction.

Instead of doing that, Robin lifted his free hand and made a motion with his hand, probably calling for another guard. "Alright, show is over, you…" He said, pointing at Cruella. "scatter before I take the privilege of being outside as well; and you…" He finished lowering his voice so that only Regina could listen.

He didn't finish the sentence though, and instead he swirled around and made Regina walk back into the prison…

XxXxXxX

He could feel the tension emanating from her body in huge waves; he could feel it strong and thick enough to make anyone who happened to be on their way to choke with it… hot and heavy as poisonous gas itself.

It didn't make him desist on his hold on her though, quite the contrary, and as her back went completely rigid against him and her breathing ceased for a second, he basically had to keep pushing her so that she would keep moving.

It was a bit of a struggle to make her move though, not because he couldn't handle her, because he definitely could, after all the woman weighed next to nothing so he knew he could easily pick her up or even drag her around without breaking a sweat if he really needed to; but the reality of it all was that he didn't want to do this by force.

He wasn't even going to try that route. "Keep moving." He hissed through clenched teeth because he didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention towards them.

"I want to make a phone call." She spoke out loud, her voice raspy but almost devoid of any emotion.

It was definitely the way she used to communicate to everyone outside of her group so Robin automatically knew he was dealing with the Regina he has known her to be before whatever madness seemed to posses them both.

The proud and haughty one who was more of a pain in his arse that anything else, a woman so different from the one who would talk to him in a mellow husky tone, telling him what she wanted him to do to her as she desperately searched for his mouth to kiss in the darkness that it was hard to believe they were one and the same.

He was okay with that though, in fact he would rather have her being like this as he knew how to deal with her attitude. He also knew how to deny her things when she was like this, thing that he didn't seem to achieve when she was more loosen up.

"Phone calls are after four, you know that."

Planting her feet firm on the ground, Regina stopped moving. It made him press even more into her, his hand settling on her hip by instinct searching for balance.

The contact didn't last long though, first because he yanked his hand away from her as soon as he realized how inappropriate that was and second because Regina began to swirl around to face him.

"I don't think you understood me. I _need_ to make that phone call." She whispered as her eyes, a soft golden brown like the best whiskey settled deep into his own. That right there almost made him cave into her request… almost. "Please."

And shit… he thought, wondering what the hell was that woman doing to him that she was making him do things he shouldn't be doing and yeah, making him want to do things he had no right to think about.

"Just a couple of minutes to check on my father and that's it."

Cussing in his mind at the way her deep eyes were looking at him and also for the change in her tone, softer and almost desperate, Robin took a look at their surroundings.

The cost was clear, and he knew Will was the one in camera duty that day so chances were he was not paying attention to the monitors.

"Two minutes, no more than that."

Regina bit on her lips and blinked softly, looking both sexy and vulnerable at the same time and knowing that to be a lethal combination for him to resist, he guided her into the nearest utility room.

Once there he took his phone and gave it to her. "Make it quick."

There was no response for that and instead, Regina just started dialing. When she was done she put the phone to her ear and waited…

Now, Regina… if he had to be a hundredth percent honest he would have to admit that he has spent the past few days feeling a mixture of excitement and regret eating through him.

He wouldn't know how to explain it, but the memory of her and what they ended up doing the other night was causing on him so many different emotions that he couldn't quite get, and that was why he has tried to say away.

Now no, he wasn't evading her, not at all, but he wasn't facilitating the two of them running into each other either.

"Zelena…" The woman began to say just before she went ahead and asked for her father. Then, as soon as she heard her sister's response she let go of a deep breath she has been apparently holding. "Are you sure, mom too?"

Another moment of silence that Robin took to let his eyes really look at her.

So, lowering his eyes, he started by taking notice that yes, she was wearing the customary black pants of the prison but the button shirt was nowhere to be found, no… instead of the complete uniform she was just in the white undershirt.

That right there left her shoulders and her neck beautifully exposed and sure, why not admit it, it left her cleavage deliciously on display for him.

He would reach for her if he could… if he dared. He would use his fingers to trace the valley of her breast and maybe push the shirt lower to get a better look of her tits.

He could do the same with the bra as well, pushing it out of his way and thus exposing her to him so that he could maybe feel her with his tongue… make her nipples go hard in his mouth.

"Okay… yes, I know. Just get them out of there… I don't know Zelena, far… listen, I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Taken out of his less that pure thoughts, Robin watched as she handed him the phone, then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his shoulder.

"He's alright."

Blinking rapidly in surprise but lifting a hand to her head, Robin allowed his fingers to bury into her soft hair. "Of course he is. De Vil is just trying to mess with your head and you are letting her. You are too volatile and she knows it, she even preys from it."

Regina lifted her chin and searched for his eyes to look into, her brows furrowed and her lips slightly pouted. "You don't know these people, Robin… you really don't and… Gold will do anything to get what he wants and if he has to go through my family for it he will. Call me volatile if you want but I can't just ignore a threat like that."

His eyes danced along her face, roaming all around but always returning to her lips. They just looked so inviting that he wasn't sure why he wasn't kissing her yet.

Not that he would, so instead he forced his mind to remember what Emma once asked him, to get some information out of Regina so that he could then pass it along.

He could do it right there, he knew he could if he just pressed a bit more into what she already said.

Shaking his head in denial, the correctional officer refused to do such a thing. This was basically the first time he witnessed the woman opening up if it was only a little and he wasn't going to betray the trust bestowed on him when she was so vulnerable just because of a federal agent.

So screw Swan. Screw everything.

Moving his hand from her hair to her cheek, Robin smoothed her skin with his thumb and yes, what needed to happen happened and before he could stop himself his mouth was covering hers.

So no, he didn't know what to say to make her feel better or even safer with the menace of a man he didn't know, but he knew that he could kiss her.

And Regina… well, she apparently accepted the small gesture, tilting her head to the left and closing her hands over the collar of his shirt to bring him closer.

Sighing and refusing to think about how he has lectured himself about how he couldn't allow for stuff like that to keep happening between them, Robin took the hint, tugging at her lips with his teeth, urging her to open up. When she did, in a matter of nothing his tongue was slowly but firmly touching hers.

She tasted sweet, like skittles, the ones he gave to her last time and that right there made Robin's head spin out of control and his hands went immediately to hold Regina's head steady against his face.

He kissed her hard, and she reciprocated the kiss with enthusiasm.

Humming, his fingers buried into her hair again, his tongue swirling around hers as his heart started to beat incredulously fast inside his chest. For a moment there was nothing in his mind but the way he and Regina were kissing and for all he cared, the world could end right then and right there and he wouldn't even notice.

That was how good she felt, and feeling like he needed more he slid his hands down her neck, lower to her back and then lower and lower until he was getting a handful of her fleshy behind in his palms.

He pressed her to him, almost crushing her to him and making her hum low in her throat as her own hands started to move as well.

But then, his radio blasted into life and made him crash back into reality.

Breaking away from her lips and sliding his hands up to her waist, he chuckled. He knew he needed to cut things there, but the truth was that he as wrong as it was, he didn't want to.

"When can I see you again?"

Regina asked, probably knowing that they couldn't keep things going in there. It was too risky.

He sighed, twisting his lips. "I'm not working nights until next week."

Rolling her eyes, Regina groaned, rising on her tiptoes to kiss him again. It was a quick thing, but Robin sure as well took the opportunity to make it go deep one last time.

"Then I'll have to figure out something because I don't want to wait that long."

"Is that so?" He asked, a smile plastered on his face despite his intentions not to.

She nodded, the smile on her face softening her features.

Pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue, Robin fixed his eyes on hers. "I'm telling you… you'll get me into so much trouble." Yes, she was, and he was willingly walking right into the trap.

Biting on her lips, Regina arched an eyebrow. "Doesn't that make it even more interesting?"

Scoffing, he shook his head. "Go get out of here… and Regina, don't get in trouble, okay?"

"I'll try not to." She shrugged, biting her lips again before opening the door to check if it was okay for them to walk out.

It apparently was, so smoothing the collar of his shirt and clearing his throat, he went one way and Regina went the other.

He received the call about one hour later, when he was about to finish his shift. It was from a number he didn't recognize so it wasn't until the woman asked for Regina that it downed on him who it was. It was Zelena, Regina's sister and she called to inform that the inmate's father has been shot…

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

"I don't think you really understand any of this or the severity of the situation so I'll say it again, you _can't_ allow Regina Mills to walk out of this prison, no matter the circumstances and no matter this compassionate grounds bullshit you say."

Biting hard on the inside of his cheek not to reply in a fit of anger to what agent Emma Swan just told Mary Margaret, Robin lowered his eyes so that he could stare into his boots, the muscles of his jaw clenching and the tender spot he was abusing with his teeth suffering the consequences.

He did that to keep himself from talking, because even though he felt like he had a lot to add, he didn't think it was his place to do so.

This was his boss' battle and knowing how stubborn the woman was despite her soft appearances, he knew she had it handled.

"I think the one who is not understanding here is you, Swan. I run this prison and that I'm allowing you to do your investigation here, an investigation that must I need to remind you is making us jeopardize the safety of our inmates, doesn't mean you get to decide what I approve and what I don't, so this permission is going to be granted whether you like it or not."

Groaning out loud and her whole demeanor screaming frustration, the blonde woman ran her hands through her head so that she could grab a handful of her hair. "She's either going to escape or she's going to get killed by Gold's men. Whatever of those two happening will fuck up the entire investigation and that damn Imp is going to get off the hook."

"Gold is your problem. Mine is to keep our inmate safe and in custody during her leave and that part I have it handled."

"Who requested for this, was it Zelena?" Emma asked and if anything, the mention of Regina's sister made Robin bit harder into his cheek, as he has been the one who talked to the woman and told her the steps they needed to take to get a permission to get Regina out of prison even if it was for a short period of time.

"Cora Mills requested this on our inmate's behalf and I don't have any reason to deny it."

"Cora Mills-" Snorting, Emma shook her head as if in disbelief. "For fuck's sake, in case you didn't know it, this whole family is in this together. The mother, the two daughters and that fool of her father…"

"Same thing I told you about Gold, that is not my problem. Now if you don't mind me saying this, you better go back to your cell. There's no point in being undercover among the inmates if you are never down there. They may get into what you're really doing and trust me, you won't have it easy if they do."

"What's the point of going there if you are going to release Mills? I might as well take my chances out there. Who knows, maybe I can get out too and I will be the one who take Regina from your custody. If I get her out there nothing will stop me, so you better watch it."

"If you're going to go and take your chances then go ahead and leave, but just so you know, if you do, I won't allow you to get back here once Mills is back and trust me, I can refuse by claiming you are endangering the prison's population by your constant reckless behavior. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things to do here that listen to your threats."

Taking that as a dismissal, Robin put his legs into motion and after giving Mary Margaret a slight nod, he guided Swan out of the office. Once out he closed the door, his intention getting the woman out of the administrative area.

"Will you be the one escorting her?"

Robin arched an eyebrow and said nothing. He has already talked about the whole thing with his boss and it was agreed that he was not going to give any kind of information, not to anyone but especially not to Swan.

He knew how far the Federal agent was willing to go to get what she wanted and he has told Blanchard so no, they were not going to risk it.

"Look, I got a bit carried away back there, alright." Emma began to say as she turned to him. "I'm just frustrated with this whole thing. But hey, um you can still help, I mean if you will be the one who takes her out you can do a hell of a progress here so listen; she's… Regina is going to be vulnerable with this whole thing with her father so this is the time to prey on her, so maybe you can get her to tell you about the pen drive? If you manage that and give it to me I'll get out of your hair in no time and who knows, maybe once we get Gold behind bars Regina can ask for another trial based on new evidence and she could even get out on parole or maybe she can get a reduced sentence. That way we all win."

Halting on his tracks and scoffing at the woman's audacity of asking him to pray on someone who was going to be vulnerable, Locksley set his face into a stoic mask, even when his tone showed off how irked he was about the whole thing. "Is that why you drug inmates, so everyone can win?"

Smacking her lips, Emma blinked a couple of times before answering. "Alright, that's a fair jab but here's the thing, here's what you need to understand. Sometimes to be on top of your game you have to do whatever it takes to stay there and when it comes to this case, everything is allowed. I have my governments permission."

Narrowing his eyes, Robin folded his arms to his chest. "Does that includes what you did to Efficent too, because you did something to her, right?" And yes, he knew because Mal was not the kind who reacted like she did at the yard just because.

Emma's eyes darkened a little and in them he saw that yes, the woman would actually do anything for that pen drive.

"The junkie is Regina's closest friend so yeah, maybe we roughened her up a little to see what she knows. She didn't talk so we had to use other methods. The bitch is stubborn though but she'll break… hell, she's breaking already."

Robin nodded, absorbing the information. "We… and this _we_ you talk about is you and Jones?" He asked, putting one and one together and already forming a conclusion. He only hoped this wasn't a worse case scenario because he would never stand for it. "What did you do to her?"

Emma shrugged, her lips curving maliciously. "That doesn't concern you, I mean you didn't want to collaborate… which was a shame because you are clever and you would have made a great partner while Jones… well, he is not the brightest crayon in the box."

"He's not, and trust me, you should have done your homework a tad better before using him for your dirty work because he is also cursed with a loose tongue, meaning that whatever it is you made him help you with? he'll tell me, and depending on what that is I'll take you down, Swan."

The woman hummed. "Who knows, maybe I will get myself out of here just to see who gets who. You think you're the big shit here? Then let's see how you do in the field when you have both me and Gold on your heels trying to snatch Regina out of your hands; that on top of dealing with the Mills because get this inside your head, that whole family is on some monkey business."

Refusing to fall in her trap of talking too much, he shrugged. "You're reaching, Swan, nobody ever said I was going to be the one taking Mills out of here."

Emma smiled knowingly. "Really? So you pretend I believe Blanchard is not going to use the best thing she has here… the only one of her guard who also happens to have military training? Come on… don't try to play me for a fool." Then, after saying that she swirled around and left.

For a few minutes, Robin remained there, still chewing on the inside of his cheek as he tried to internalize everything that was happening… starting with the call he received and then ending with his talk with Emma Swan.

It was a lot to process and there was a lot to do so he better do it right, as he didn't want a disaster on his hands.

He was also trying to figure out how the hell he was going to walk out of there, head towards Regina and let her know that her biggest fear just became a reality and that Gold had her father shot…

Maybe he should take Mary Margaret's suggestion of having Whale be the one to break the news as it was protocol; it was easier that way… at least for him.

But the thing was that Regina has told him numerous times how uncomfortable the doctor made her feel so no, it couldn't be Whale, it had to be him.

It was going to be a pain in his arse, true, but he could handle it. After all he has broken some bad news to other prisoners before so why did it have to be more difficult now?

Blowing out a breath because he wasn't even going to bother with an answer to that, not without having to go deep into things he still couldn't understand about what was happening between him and Regina, Robin shook himself out of his trance and started to walk, because as it happened, he couldn't be wasting so much time.

_ **Earlier On…** _

Trying her best to keep her mouth from breaking into a stupid silly grin, Regina Mills walked through the long corridors of her prison block to head towards her cell. She did it as if she was walking on clouds and yes, it made her feel ridiculous, but the truth was that she just couldn't help it.

The way she was feeling was simply out of her control… an outer force that just came into her unannounced to turn her brain into a big pile of mush that served for nothing but to make her gush about what just happened with Robin.

She didn't know what it was or what to make out of it, but there was something about meeting with the man that made her feel giddy and excited all at the same time and that was a feeling hard to kick out.

It made her forget about Cruella and Gold's empty menaces and the hard fact that she was in prison… even if it was for a while, as the only thing that was real in that exact moment was the tingling sensation on her lower stomach as her mind went over the way he has kissed her just a moment ago.

Biting into her lips, the dark-haired inmate briefly closed her eyes and took into a deep breath, the scents of disinfectant mixed with all the nefarious odors that reigned inside of the prison not even bothering.

It was this way that she made it into her cell, with her head a million miles away. But… as it always happened, that period of complete bliss was quickly interrupted as soon as she saw Mal and Ursula arguing and just like that, she was back to her crude reality.

"You can't keep doing that shit, Mal! You can't and you want to know why, because that poison is going to kill you one day and maybe that's fine with you, but I don't want to deal with a lifetime being haunted by the image of you dead in your bunk after you OD."

"What's going on?" Regina asked, even if she figured it out already, not only by Ursula's words but also because of Mal's guilty face.

"This stupid bitch wants to blow some coke here, in my fucking face. Can you believe that shit?"

Folding her arms to her chest and pinning her friend with a hard glare, Regina arched an eyebrow, her whole mood changing. "Seriously?"

"I'll leave you to it because I swear I'm going to kick her face right now if I stay here." Ursula said as she walked out.

"You don't understand." Mal began to say as Regina's eyes moved around, they scanned the area until she noticed two lines of the white powder set up in the table they used to play cards.

It was all she needed to see so that her mood could turn into acrid.

Clenching her jaw and walking towards her cellmate, Regina's lips twisted into a snarl. "No I get it, crystal clear Mal… so why don't you go ahead and fucking drug yourself if that's what you fucking want to do, go ahead."

Despite her obvious intentions, the taller woman sucked in a breath, her eyes watering as she shook her head no. Not that Regina cared, she was mad as hell so she pushed Mal against the table.

"Just fucking do it so we can all get over this already."

Regaining her balance as she almost stumbled over, Mal gasped. Then, when she was able to she stood her ground. "No."

"Then get that shit out of my sight." Regina hissed angrily, turning the table over and then kicking hard at it.

Was it her best move? Of course not, but that was the thing when it came to her moods; she lived them to the extreme and this was not an exception.

"God, I can't believe you."

Mal said nothing, she just stared at Regina with a pain expression taking over her face.

"You know you can't be like this if you want to get out of here with me, you just can't."

"They know about the pen drive, they want it."

Freezing on the spot as the implications of what her friend's words meant, Regina blinked slowly. "Who knows?"

"I don't know. I think Gold? He has people here, even among the guards and this Emma… the fucking bitch came trying to beat it out of me. I didn't say anything but they… they know about Lily and they said they were going to do things to her if I don't tell them. They even showed me pictures of her… recent ones, Regina, taken at her school."

Regina swallowed on dry, her eyes going a little wide as she looked at her friend in horror. "Who's they?"

Wiping angrily at her tears, Mal shrugged. "Jones. He's with Emma in this, I… Regina I don't know what to do, but I can't let them hurt my daughter."

"Of course not. Come here." Saying that and making the blonde sit down in one of the beds with her, Regina threw an arm over her friend's shoulder. "We'll figure this out, but getting drugged is definitely not the answer."

"I know."

"You should have told me too, you know."

"I didn't want you to get mad for having this hanging over me."

"Don't be ridiculous, you have Lily and I have my family hanging over me and well, I won't let anything happen to any of them, okay? And that includes your daughter." As she said that, her brain was going in overload as she tried to come with a new plan to keep Mal's girl out of danger.

Sure, she would have to use Zelena here and a good portion of Gold's money, but she was pretty sure it could all work for the best in the long run…

She didn't reveal all her plan to Mal though as she didn't want to jeopardize it, but for the next few hours they plotted on how to turn the tables against Gold and his accomplices.

It was as they went over this that she saw Robin approach her cell, face all serious and his eyes searching for her. "Mills, the warden wants to see you so move it."

Straightening her back and feeling that prickling sensation on her lower stomach as soon as her eyes found his, her eyebrow rose. "The warden? And what would our dear Snow White want with me?" She asked more to Mal than to Robin, using the nickname she has given Blanchard as soon as she has seen her pale complexion and her big doe eyes.

"Just hurry up." He said, turning around and standing outside the entrance.

"Warden my ass, this one wants to get you all alone to give you some dick, or is it that you think I didn't notice the intense eye-fucking out in the yard." Mal said and unable to help it, Regina chuckled. First because it was good to see her friend regain some of her spark and second, because maybe the woman was onto something.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right, I hope you're shaved."

Regina's eyes rolled as she got to her feet. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, okay?

"Okay."

After the exchange, the brown-eyed inmate walked out of her cell and as soon as Robin saw her, he motioned her to follow him. She did, walking after him and wondering if he found a way for them to have some alone time.

That right there would be spectacular because she wanted it… hell, she needed it, to release all her tension in a one on one with him.

Biting on her lips, she allowed her eyes to settle on the way his pants hugged his ass and damn, she wasn't sure if it was because so much has passed since she has felt how it was to be with a man in all sense of the word but she could easily visualize her legs wrapped around his hips and resting over that specific spot while he fucked her nice and deep.

Feeling a shiver run down her spine just by thinking about it, she smiled, saying nothing until she was lead into a small office. It was empty, so as soon as Robin closed the door and turned to her, she rose on her tip toes and wrapped her arms to his neck, her mouth immediately searching to his.

She was only able to press her mouth to his briefly, because upon that first contact he grabbed her waist and made her pull away.

"Regina…" He began to say and at his tone, she frowned.

"What is it?" She asked, her hands sliding down to his chest.

The correctional officer blew out a breath, his fingers digging into her flesh as his eyes settled on an undefined spot between them. "I don't… I don't know how to tell you this."

Her eyes narrowed and her lips parted, her whole body tensing, because she just knew something wasn't right there.

"It's my father, isn't it?" And God, she pleaded inside her mind as she wouldn't even know what to do with herself if something bad happened to her dad because of her.

"He's been shot-"

That was as far as she heard because for a moment all her senses abandoned her body to leave nothing behind; she was an empty carcass that couldn't feel or see or even hear anything… she was there but she really wasn't, and it wasn't until her legs failed her that she reacted.

Luckily, Robin had an iron grip on her and he didn't let her fall, what he did was hold her close to him as she slowly began to crawl out of her shock.

"Hey, it's alright, I'm here." The man mumbled into her hair as Regina blinked the tears that were forming in her eyes. "I'm here."

"Is he dead?" She managed to ask, dreading the answer and brazing herself for it.

"No, but he's in critical condition..."

Before Robin could continue, Regina choked on a sob as she buried her face into her hands. She didn't want to cry, not when she had an audience, but there were things that were out of her control, like the raging emotions accumulating inside her chest.

"He will have to be taken to another hospital and they will probably transfer him after the surgery he is undergoing right now. For that reason, the prison is giving you permission to go and visit him before he is taken away, you want to do that?"

Not thinking it twice, Regina nodded, wiping at her face and trying to get some composure.

"Good. So um, your sister dropped some clothes for you so why don't you get changed and I'll meet you when you're done?" After saying that he pointed to her the direction where she could get her clothes and a shower and then he left, giving her some privacy.

Regina welcomed it, as she could finally shed some tears in private. When she was done, she cleaned up and changed as if in a trance, but she did it quickly, as there was only one thing she wanted in that moment, and that was go and see her father…

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so this was short, as it was only a set up for the next one and yes, there will be way more Robin/Regina interaction on that one.


	9. Chapter 9

If there was something that Robin Locksley considered worse than the hideous smells of a prison, it was the ones that could be found in a hospital.

Sure, the pungent and ever-present odors that reigned in his workplace were by all means less than pleasant and in fact, the lemony-disinfectant scent mixed with sweat, cheap soap and the distinct stench of a dirty ashtray will forever range on top of the most offensive things any of his senses had to endure; but even with the awfulness of that, in his mind he would rather stay with those previously described by a long shot.

He didn't know how to explain it, but he just couldn't stand being in a hospital breathing into the smells that took over the place.

The unsavory tang from the prison, the one that lingered strong and angry and that would stick to your nose no matter where you were was normal to him now, after all, with all the years he has spent working there he already got used to it, didn't even find them as repulsive as they were anymore… but the ones he was suffering now were particularly revolting.

He couldn't exactly pinpoint why was that and at times he was sure that it was all in his head, after all death, illness and hopelessness were definitely not real odors… even when that was how hospitals smelled like to him…

It was a real thing, enough to make his stomach turn, and as he stood next to a vending machine located at the end of one of the corridors in the intensive care wing, his back resting against it, arms folded to his chest and his face set into a serious mask that gave nothing away, he couldn't help but to feel like he needed nothing more than to step outside and breathe into some fresh air.

He wished he could… he really did, but the unfortunate fact was that he couldn't. As it was, he was disobeying a direct order and breaking a few protocols by being where he was… by not being personally guarding his prisoner like he knew he should be doing so no, he couldn't make it all worse by leaving his spot just because he childishly wanted fresh air.

And so, he stayed.

Clenching his jaw hard enough to strain the muscles of his face, Robin exhaled loudly, trying to ignore his restlessness so that he could focus on something else.

He did that by fixing his eyes intently on the door that lead into the room where Regina was with her family, hoping that his brain could stop circling over stupid ticks that belonged to the past and try instead to understand why he allowed _her_ to go in there alone.

It was a careless thing to do, yes, and he was well aware of how bloody unprofessional that was. He was directly ignoring Mary Margaret's specific order not to let Mills out of his sight even if it was for a short while and that was something he didn't like doing.

So the question remained… why did he do it?

In a way, he was pretty much sure he decided to wait outside to keep himself as detached as he could because he plain and simply shouldn't harbor the overwhelming need he has been feeling of just going in with her, offering whatever comfort he could.

He guessed that was part of the reason why he decided that the best thing he could do was to give her some space to deal with the situation at hand on her own… because no matter what his needs were, the fact remained that he was nothing more than her guard, and that even though they've kissed and heavily made out a couple of times, he had no place inside that room.

He needed to keep that in mind, he really should, because even though he liked her in ways he should definitely not even contemplate, he couldn't let himself get confused with the situation.

She was an inmate and he the prison guard taking her to see her father as he lay in critical condition after being shot. It was not a date… it wasn't even about him so no… he needed to just… act as if she was any other prisoner.

In that same line, he couldn't forget that as harmless as escorting her to the hospital seemed, that he needed to be on the lookout. First, because some of Regina's old enemies could size the situation to strike against her and second, because she could try for an escape now that she was taken outside of the prison…

He didn't think she would try that… well, more like he didn't want to believe it, but the fact was that she very well could.

Those were the things he should be focusing on, not some odors and his repulsion to them…

"So, are you the guard who brought Regina over?"

Taken out of his thoughts by the sudden interruption, Robin tilted his head lightly to the side so that his eyes could rest over a redhead who just happened to be making her way to him; he would have done that on full alert mode if it wasn't because he remembered how the same woman has walked out of the room Regina was in about half an hour ago.

He also recognized the voice and yes, the accent…

"I'm Regina's sister Zelena. I talked to you on the phone."

Giving her a slight nod of recognition, Robin watched as she walked all the way to the door, but instead of going in, she turned around, rested her back to it and then stared at him.

"I'm sorry about your father." He said when he realized she wasn't going to enter. It was a courtesy, because even when he didn't come to be amicable, he didn't exactly want to act as an asshole either.

"He's not my father. Regina and I are only half-sisters, actually… but thank you, I guess."

Nodding once more, Robin kept his features stoic, but as she said that he could understand now why the two women looked so different from one another. They both however had the same defiant glint in their eyes and that posture that screamed nothing but trouble to him.

"I'm going to go straight to the point here and just lay it all out because time is precious; how much do I need to give you to keep an eye on my little sister while she's in that… awful place?"

"I beg your pardon?" Robin's brows furrowed; yes, he understood what the woman was implying, but because her bluntness to say it out of the blue caught him off-guard, he just had to ask.

Sighing, Zelena rolled her eyes. "Look, Regina is prone to get herself in all kinds of trouble. She's too emotional, she's risiculously hot headed and that combination makes her react before she gets to think and that is something she can't afford to do right now, I mean look where that got her. Because of that I need to make sure she has someone in there, someone to keep her both safe and sure, why not throw it all there, comfortable too. I'll pay you good money for it."

Struggling not to snort, Robin cleared his throat, his brain doing a quick search for the right words to reply. "I get paid already to keep all the inmates safe, and I'm afraid I can't make her any more comfortable than what she already is, so I don't see how can I help there."

"Well you can help by doing something, my sister has been targeted and attacked more than once and no offense, but you guards have done nothing to prevent it. That's why I thought that a little extra money would motivate you into keeping a closer eye on her."

"I don't think-"

"I'm not asking you to make her Queen of that rotten place." She interrupted him, obviously a bit agitated and he decided that yes, she was definitely Regina's sister. "I just need someone to make sure she stays in one piece in there, someone who could be there for her when she needs it and I thought you were the one to do it."

Robin's eyes widened a little and his shoulders lifted. "I don't know if I'm the man to help you here." He replied because yes, he definitely didn't mind keeping a closer eye on Regina, hell, he has been doing that already for a while know. But he didn't need the woman or anyone to know that unless he would want his motives exposed. Also, he knew better than to accept money for special prison favors…

"Okay," She said a bit more calmed down, taking a break to breathe in. "Maybe I misunderstood the situation, you know, with you letting her use your phone and then telling me what to do to get this permission or whatever. I'm sorry."

Letting the muscles of his face relax at the woman's obvious concern for her sister, Robin blinked softly. "Like I said, I get paid to do this and as long as it is within my reach, I'll make sure she is safe, alright? I don't need you to pay me extra for something I already do with all the inmates in my block."

Zelena pursed her lips, watching him intently, but when she was about to say something, a doctor came by to enter into the room and she had to move out of the way.

Now, when the door opened, the correctional officer couldn't help but to take a peek inside, corroborating that Regina was still there, sitting by her father's side as she leaned against an older woman he was going to assume was her mother…

The Mills, the infamous clan Emma was so set up into obsessing over…

"So you do this with all the other inmates?"

Returning his eyes to the redhead, Robin narrowed his eyes. "Do what, escort them out of prison? If it's what needs to be done then yes, it's part of my job."

Zelena hummed, and to be honest, Robin didn't know if he liked the way she was studying him. It made him wonder if Regina has told him anything of what happened between them and well, he liked that even less.

"She doesn't belong in there; Regina, I mean. We've had our differences in the past and I could barely stand the spoiled brat when she was growing up… but she is my sister above everything and she should be out… not in there turning all savage and having that foul language she definitely didn't have before… she really shouldn't be there, changing into this new person while Gold is out there doing this kind of stuff."

Robin gave her a sympathetic half smile, the only thing he could offer in that moment.

"But that's how it is so what is left to do, right?" The woman folded her arms to her chest and blew out a breath. "We're leaving, I'm taking my mother and Henry out of the country for a while but I have my contacts here, so if anything, at least let me know if she needs something while I'm away… could you at least do that?"

Knowing very damn well that he shouldn't get more involved than what he already was but unable to do anything else, he nodded. "Yes, you can count on that."

"Thank you." With that said, the woman walked into the room and it was back again to waiting for Robin.

By clock, after his talk with Zelena he lingered there for some twenty more minutes before the door opened again. This time, with Regina walking out.

"Can we go now?"

Moving from his spot, Robin automatically walked to her, getting close enough to notice her moistened eyes.

"Is everything alright?"

She shrugged, dawning in a shaky breath. "They are going to take him to another hospital out of the country and I don't even want to know where that is so can you please get me out of here now?"

Swallowing hard down, Robin clenched his jaw again to keep from telling her that her permit allowed her to stay a while longer, but because she seemed resolved he placed a hand on her back and guided her forward.

Now, the protocol dictated that he should have her handcuffed now that they were leaving, but in all fairness of being honest, he didn't have it in him to do it. She was not going to cause any problem; he knew it in his gut and that instinct has never failed him.

Once outside and getting that much needed breath of fresh air, the blue-eyed man stopped her by grabbing her elbow. They were in the middle of the half-deserted parking lot and upon halting, she turned to look at him through her liquid warm stare.

He stared back, trying to focus on her face instead of her whole appearance, because as lovely as it was seeing her in something other than her prison uniform, this wasn't the time to be checking her out.

"You alright?"

Instead of replying, Regina closed the distance between them and threw her arms around him. By instinct, he placed a hand to the back of her head and the other one was used to hold her close to him, his face lowering a little so that he could press his lips to her shoulder.

"I asked them all to leave, to go far away so that Gold can't get to them again. Who knows when I'll be able to any of them so no, I'm not alright."

At the mention of the man's name, Robin looked around, realizing what an easy target they were in that moment, and it wasn't like he wanted to be paranoid, but the truth was he was geared up in case of an attack, but Regina wasn't. "Come on," He said, rubbing his hand along her back before pulling away. "Let's get out of here"

Blinking slowly, Regina bit into her lips, her long eyelashes softly brushing against the skin below her eyes and as if it was the most natural thing in the world, he kissed her forehead; then, before he could start spoiling his mind by how stunning the woman was, she was walking with him to the car…

**XxXxXxX**

Staring out the window of the car but not really taking notice of the panorama displaying along the road, Regina was trying her hardest not to succumb into that sense of guilt that has been trying to engulf her since the moment she found out her father has been shot.

It was hard not to, especially after seeing him there in a hospital bed, hooked to all kinds of machines as he recuperated from surgery, but she was well aware that keeping a tight hold on her feelings was a must in that moment.

Crying and playing the blame game was going to lead her nowhere, and she needed her mind clear so that she could come up with a definite plan to end Gold once and for all… to end his threats and get back at him for all he has ever done to her and her family.

It was long due, she has waited too long for it and before everything got even worse than this, she needed to start acting.

Thinking about that, she slid her hand to the pocket of her coat as it lay over her lap, her fingers reaching and the wrapping around the small object that was going to help her bring Gold down…

"Do you want to stop and get something to eat?"

Tilting her head to the side and letting her eyes settle on the man sitting in the driver's seat of the car, Regina narrowed her eyes.

"We can do that?" Sure, with everything that has happened, she had no appetite whatsoever, but if she stopped to consider it, there were not many opportunities for her to eat anything that wasn't from the awful prison's menu and she shouldn't waste such an opportunity.

Especially, if she was going to have such nice company…

"Sure; I mean we do need to eat and we're ahead of schedule so why not?"

In any other occasion, Regina would have smiled at his laid-back suggestion, but in that moment she just stared at him, her eyes absorbing the little details that she hasn't been able to fully appreciate in the prison. Like the strong outline of his jaw, how soft and inviting his hair looked and how he seemed to have the habit to chew on the inside of his cheek when he was apparently thinking.

She could even see the muscles of his face working as he did it and she actually had to hold on the sudden urge of lifting a hand to just touch him, to ease the tension on his jaw or maybe even run her fingers through his hair.

What could she say, he looked good… more than good and maybe that right there could be the distraction she needed.

Not like she was going to forget about her dad, that was impossible… but she couldn't make herself sick thinking about things that were out of her control. Her father was going to pull through, the doctor said so, her family was going to be safe and Gold was going to get what he deserved… in the meanwhile, there was Robin and if a meal was the only chance she could get to know the man outside the prison then she was sure as hell going to take it.

"Would it be like a date?" Because if it was, it would be the only one they would ever have considering their situation.

Robin scoffed, his lips curving as he leered at her. "Well if it's a date then it would be a very shitty one. There are not many good options on this road… in fact, there's nothing on this road other than a shady dinner that probably falls way to short on your standards."

"I no longer have any standards when it comes to food, Robin. I've been eating meals prepared with can products that are probably expired and some dubious meats for the last ten months so you bet anything will be better than that. Especially if they are burgers because God, I would kill for a cheeseburger right now."

"Cheeseburgers it is then." He added, moving his eyes from hers and taking a look through the rear view mirror. "Now I'll have to warn you that this dinner will have to be a very rushed one since we can't linger much there. The warden will have a nervous breakdown if we don't make it back by seven."

Regina groaned internally, not exactly ecstatic about going back to prison instead of spending more time with him, but as little as it was it was, this was better than clandestine meetings at two in the morning in the dark. Who knew, if they were quick about eating they could even have a nice make-out session in the car afterwards…

"It's okay, I'm up for it." Hell, they could even skip the meal and go straight to making out, God knew she needed to release all her tension in one way or another more than she needed the calories.

"Yeah? So… um…" He said, not really finishing the sentence and once again taking a look back, his eyes narrowing and his face a mask of concentration. "Alright."

But when they came upon the dinner, he kept going. He wasn't even looking at the road ahead but for short glances, and when she was about to ask what was with him he started to slow down.

"Give me a second…" With that said, he pulled over in a random spot. He didn't turn off the engine though and just remained there, looking out through the back.

"Robin?"

He hummed, not even looking at her, but then, he put the car in reverse and, made a U turn and started driving back.

"Okay what's going on?" She asked, taking a look back herself to see if there was anything to worry about, but before she could really have a look, he took an abrupt turn that made her jump and hold to the dash.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Shit." He hissed, grabbing the steering wheel with one hand and using the other to take out of his belt a gun. That right there was enough to put her on high alert and this time, when she looked back she saw two motorcycles behind them.

Blinking several times as different scenarios started to dance inside her mind, Regina put the coat with the pen drive underneath her seat as she cussed under her breath.

"Hold on, I'm going to hit the breaks pretty hard, okay?"

She nodded, feeling as all the blood in her body drained down to her feet. She got mentally prepared for it, but when he did it she wasn't expecting for her whole body to jerk forward so abruptly.

It strained her neck and momentarily left her breathless as the seatbelt definitely burnt it's way against her ribcage. Not like she had so much time to dwell on that, because soon after something impacted the car from behind ridiculously hard and all of a sudden there was a man flying over the car and falling in the pavement in a couple of feet from the car.

"Oh my God-"

"Hold on tight."

All of what followed was a blur, she knew he was driving on reverse now and that didn't help in her daze. It was like she was living in a bad movie scene, especially when the guy that impacted their car sat down and started firing his gun in their direction.

They were too far away though so none of the bullets reached them. There was however the other guy in the bike and he was already gearing up to head their way.

"Okay, listen, I'm going to pull over by the side of the road and I need you to go into the woods until I go looking for you."

"What? No way…"

"I'm not asking you Regina, I'm telling you so just do it."

Regina opened her mouth to protest his authoritarian tone, but the serious look on his face told her that she shouldn't argue. Besides, what else could she do?

Those men were after her and they definitely didn't want to chat or exchange pleasantries with her, no… they wanted her dead.

"Take this." He gave her another gun that he took from underneath the seat and not thinking it twice she grabbed it. "You know how to use it?"

She nodded because yes, she knew how to use a gun. What she didn't exactly have was the best aim. The fact that Gold was still alive was proof of that.

Now, before she could tell him that, Robin stopped the car and without giving her time to hesitate, he was telling her to go.

"I don't know about this." Because really, what was he doing anyway? She was a criminal and he was setting her free with a gun in her hand and a perfect opportunity to just disappear.

Not giving her time to voice that out, Robin grabbed her face and crushed his lips to hers. It wasn't a tender gesture like at all and it lasted less than three seconds, but it definitely froze her for a moment there.

"Now go."

Snapped back to reality by his harsh tone, she moved, grabbing the coat with the pen drive, holding onto the gun and finally slamming the door shut so that she could begin to run into the woods.

She only ran a couple of feet off the road though, and then, groaning out loud she turned around and started to head back towards the car.

She was not going to leave him there and stay with the uncertainty, she just couldn't… because what if he never came back for her?

With that in mind, she went back, and she did it just in time to see Robin standing by the car, gun pointed straight ahead towards the bike that was coming his way. It was coming too fast, that was all Regina could think about, that and that the biker has apparently picked up his buddy that fell so that he was now riding behind him with his gun also pointed forward. Aiming at Robin.

Holding her breath, she saw how the first one to fire was Robin, one bullet that hit the guy that was driving the bike right in the shoulder, Regina knew because in her mind she saw it all happen in slow motion.

The impact made him lose control of the motorcycle… but before they could fall and slide and then roll over the street at full speed, a few bullets were also set in motion from their part and three of them hit Robin.

In his chest, right over his ribs and on his stomach.

Regina saw that too… she saw the projectiles hit Robin with so much force that he dropped the gun, his body jerking in a macabre dance until he fell down.

"No, no, no…" Not thinking it twice, Regina ran towards him in blind panic; she was by then moving by instinct or by adrenaline, she wasn't even sure… all she knew was that she ran so fast that she was by him in no time, dropping by his side as her eyes scanned his torso in horrified wonder.

He was not bleeding, that much she could see, but he was writhing in pain while trying to take off his shirt.

With shaking hands she helped him, her mind too messed up to understand what was going on at first, but when the shirt was off and discarded, she understood why he was not injured… he has been wearing a bulletproof vest that definitely saved him from a much worse fate.

Letting a relieved sigh to roll pass her lips, Regina helped him get out of the vest too and then she clung to his neck almost desperately.

He returned the embrace, hissing a little. "For Christ sake, Regina, I told you to wait in the woods. I told you…"

"Just shut up, you scared the hell out of me." She snapped back, her voice trembling along with all her body.

Apparently taking notice, Robin held her tighter and despite her resolution not to give into her feelings, she let out a sob.

"Hey, it's all right." He whispered softly in her ear, kissing her cheek, her leaking eyes and then the corner of her mouth. "I'm alright."

Regina shook her head no because it was not alright. First they tried to kill her father and now her… and in their intent they almost took out Robin as well, and all because of Gold…

Clenching her jaw as thoughts of revenge started to take form in her mind, Regina swallowed on dry... musing, scheming…

"Now come on, before one of those goons gets up."

Wiping her face from her angry tears, Regina helped Robin up to his feet. He grunted in obvious discomfort, thing that made her look at his undershirt to see if there was any damage or signs of blood. There was nothing of the like and taking that as a good thing, she let him drive her away.

He didn't go back to the prison though and instead headed on the opposite direction, calling the Warden and explaining to her all of what happened.

From what Regina could gather, the woman was going to send someone for them to prevent any other situation, but apparently, she didn't have the personnel yet so that could take a while.

Her advice? To find somewhere safe.

In her current mood, Regina wanted to say something about how mediocre the prison was being about this but she bit hard on her tongue and said nothing.

She was too riled up, too upset to talk what was on her mind and like she said before, she needed to keep a clear head.

So wrapped up she has been in those thoughts that when Robin finally pulled over, she was surprised to see that the day has quickly bleed into the night without her taking notice.

She also realized that he parked in front of a Howard Johnson and judging by how he grabbed his duffle bag and the handbag Zelena brought for her with clothes to change, that his plan was to stay there until someone could come for them.

It sounded good to her because she was suddenly tired and in need of some rest. It has been one hell of a day for her, a rollercoaster of emotions full of dramatic drops and turns and she was honestly drained and mentally exhausted.

"Mary Margaret is going to freak out when she sees the back of the prison's car. It's a wreck." Robin said absentmindedly once they got into the room as he put their things down before closing the door.

Regina just threw herself into one of the beds and closed her eyes. The truth was that she couldn't care less about the car so she didn't even reply to that. Why would she? Robin could have died out there… so the car could blow to pieces for all she cared.

She low-key let him know by blurting the first unrelated thing to the whole ordeal to pop into her mind.

"Ugh, you know how shitty the beds of a prison really are when a mattress from some random motel in the middle of freaking Maine feels like heaven."

She heard Robin hum, and when she opened her eyes she saw him sitting on the other bed, lifting his shirt so that he could inspect himself.

From her vantage point, Regina couldn't see what was there to inspect so she sat up, meaning to take a look and maybe ask if he was really okay.

"Hey," She began to say, and as soon as he heard her voice, he rolled his shirt back down and tilted his head towards her, his lips smiling a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Why don't you go get a shower while I get us something to eat?"

"A shower..." She mused, already sold on the idea. A shower in a private bathroom where she could be on her own… maybe even wash her hair with all the calm in the world without some weirdo trying to hit on her from the other side of the bathroom. "Okay."

With that settled, she grabbed her things and headed into the bathroom. She remained there a long time, not necessarily because the experience blew her mind, but because as soon as the spray of the water hit her, her heart withered inside her chest and finally getting hit with all of what happened, she started to cry.

For her father, for all she has lost, because she was angry and frustrated, because she has now dragged Robin and Mal into Gold's wicked games as well… because she has been stupid enough to think this was something she could handle.

By the time she was done, she was overly clean but emotionally numb. She barely spoke a word as she ate, and the cheeseburger that Robin got her was just nibbled over before she set it down, saying she was not hungry and that she wanted to sleep.

Robin said nothing to that as he was apparently in a mood as well and really, who could blame him? After all he almost died because of her.

With that mindset, the brunette remained under the blankets of the motel's bed, covered head to toe as she wrestled against the dark thoughts that wanted to take over her.

It was hard to keep them away, hard not to go full into that dark place so after struggling for more than an hour, way after Robin got a shower himself and got to lay on the other bed, she decided that she was just not going to sleep so easily.

Getting up to her feet, Regina moved around the room so she could grab one of the sodas Robin got. Before jail… she didn't drink the damn things but what did it matter now? She opened it and drank greedily from the bottle, settling it down when she was done and instantly regretting it.

It was too much sugar and if anything, that was going to keep her up all night long.

Swirling on her feet, she took a look at Robin. He was apparently fast asleep, laying on his back, eyes closed, one arm thrown over his eyes and the other one bent just above his head. It looked uncomfortable to her, but judging by his soft breathing it wasn't something that bothered him.

She watched him for a while, and then, moved by an invisible force she took off her pants to be more comfortable and climbed in bed with him.

She didn't really mean anything by it, she just wanted to feel him close, to feel him breathing next to her and sure, to get lost into that alluring smell that came with him out of the bathroom. That's how she ended up snuggled against him, one of her legs going over his as her hand settled on his stomach.

For a moment that was all she did, but the more his scent danced into her nose and the warmer he got against her, the more restless she became.

It began with her fingers, they started moving as if they had a life of their own, tracing random patterns over his stomach until she decided to venture underneath the fabric to do the same.

Robin didn't even stir, and because she didn't really think she was doing anything out of place, she kept on… the ball of her fingers ghosting down his ribcage, against the hard muscle of his stomach and then right below his navel… her touch covering all over his flesh… up until she reached the elastic band of the sweatpants he was now wearing.

Biting on her lips and feeling a comfortable warmness settle in her stomach, she went back to let her fingers to roam freely. That way she went to his sides, to his chest and back to his abs, but for some reason, her digits always returned to that stop where his pants meet his lower abdomen.

Swallowing hard down, Regina shut her eyes and tried to sleep, but when it wasn't her fingers acting all inappropriate it was her leg, sliding against his as her hips wanted to dart forward so that she could straddle his thigh.

She wanted to feel the pressure of him in that sweet spot that was now eagerly needing it, but because she didn't want to be that pervert molesting a sleeping man she tried to get a hold on herself.

That was why she stopped all movement and for a while she behaved, but when he sighed and lowered the arm that has been over his head to pull her closer she knew she was doomed.

Now, with her head resting against his shoulder and her crotch pressed to his thigh, Regina touched him again… this time getting a hell of a lot bolder, going as far as letting the palm of her hand rest over his cock.

He wasn't hard so for a little while she just stroked him lazily, her mind going back in memory lane to remember how he felt in her hand when he was hard… warm, bare.

The thought made her tingle all over and breathing in, she liked how she wasn't feeling as numb as she has been since she took her shower. It was what she wanted, what she needed to she drank on the feeling, liking it for what it was.

And yeah, soon after he began to stir to life under her ministrations and if anything, that made her need for more soar.

"What are you doing?" He asked huskily and moving her face to him, she looked at him in the eye.

His blue orbs were darker than his usual clear stare and she was glad that she could see him this time. Last time she has been denied to clearly see him and whatever it was they ended up doing this time, she wanted to see him.

"Does this bothers you?" She asked, wanting to be clear before going on. When he shook his head no, she smirked, allowing her hand to wrap around him so that she could rub his entire length. "Good, because I've been wanting to do this so bad for a while."

"Really? And what exactly is what you wanted to do?"

Knowing how this game of them always had them saying what they wanted to do to each other but barely going fully for it, she hummed. This was definitely a better way to spend some time to clear her mind and to make her feel something other thirst for vengeance consume her so yeah, even if they ended up just touching like last time, she was sure as hell going to engage into some dirty talking.

She knew how he was set on not going all the way with her because of his job or whatever, but because at this point she would take anything, she was going to go along with the flow.

"To touch you, to feel you in my mouth… in me."

"Yeah?"

She bit into her lips, her hand going up and down… up and down until his hips bucked a little, and then she stroked him some more. "Yes. How about you? Have you thought about touching me?"

He snorted, licking his lips as she smirked in return. "All the time… shit, Regina I don't even know what you are doing to me."

Feeling his answer warm her all over, the brunette hummed in satisfaction. "Show me… where you wanted to touch me."

Turning to his side and putting his digits to work, he settled his hands on her waist. Then, much like she has done with him earlier on, he allowed himself to sneak underneath her shirt.

He went straight for her breast, grabbing one in each hand as he darted forward for a kiss.

Glad that she was not wearing a bra so that he could touch her as he pleased, Regina moaned softly, the way his tongue moved expertly against hers making her stomach tingle stronger.

She liked it, she liked it very much, and she demonstrated it by kissing him with the same enthusiasm he was using on her. Breathes mingling, tongues exploring, teeth nibbling… it was simply amazing what a kiss could do.

Feeling his fingers make her nipples tighten into hard peaks, Regina couldn't help but to moan in encouragement as his tongue wrestled against hers, claiming all her senses with his kiss.

They kissed like that for a while, but when the need to breath was strong he pulled away, taking the opportunity to take off her shirt.

Once off and away, he buried his face into her neck, probing.

"That's nice… I like it." She breathed out, the way his lips and tongue worked in that sweet spot where her pulse was beating against her skin making her shiver.

It was really good, but he was making her feel too eager so wanting to feel more of him, Regina parted her legs to let his body accommodate between them and he did just that, lowering himself a little and pushing them even farther apart until they got into a position where the bulge in his pants rubbed against the tender flesh of her stomach and then sliding down to press against her already swollen core.

It felt good, before whatever was happening with Robin started, it has been a long time since she got to feel prey to the long claws of lust and she still couldn't believe that she was getting that feeling out of making out with a guard.

It was insane, it was so good.

The way his mouth sought hers to go back to kissing her and the way his erection was pressing hard against her was making her burn with desire so bad that she was afraid she was going to explode.

There was even a hot liquid sensation starting to flow out of her signaling her that she needed more, so pressing harder against him she kissed him deeper.

So yeah, her goal of feeling something other than a deep void sucking her soul was already accomplished but no, that didn't mean that she was going to stop here.

Especially when his hands were now running down her body, going down to squeeze and hold onto her inner thighs until she could feel the back of his hand brushing against the brim of her panties. That little contact right there made her shiver, but unfortunately he didn't stop there and instead went to settle back around her waist.

She moaned a protest into his mouth because she really wanted his fingers to slide underneath her underwear so that they could keep heating things up, but before she could tell him what she wanted him to do with his fingers, he broke the kiss to suck in a breath as he looked at her exposed breasts.

"Look at you… so perfect." He said in a low husky voice.

Regina arched an eyebrow, finding it amusing that he was now entranced with her breast. Oh but that was because he apparently he was a breast man, she could tell by the way he stared in awe at hers while squeezing her nipple between two of his fingers. By the look on his face she was sure that he liked what he was seeing and yeah, that was a boost to her ego.

"I always wondered what you had hidden under that uniform and dear, it is not disappointing."

"Always?" Well that was interesting and another boost to her ego.

"Well… yeah, but can you blame me? You're gorgeous."

"I thought I was a pain in your ass?"

"Yeah, a gorgeous pain in my ass."

Chuckling, Regina arched her back into him and he took the invitation to dive down, swirling his tongue around the hard peak as she closed her eyes in delight.

As he worried her nipple with his tongue and teeth, Regina opened her eyes and reached down to his pants, struggling to take them off without pushing him away.

While she did that he switched breasts and let out a gasp when her hand ventured to get a nice hold of his erection, now free and bare. "You went to sleep with me in the next bed without wearing your underwear, really?"

Hissing, his teeth sunk into her bare breast and she gasped. "I didn't have any on my bag. I didn't know we were to spend the night out."

Unable to help it and fighting not to loose focus from the present, Regina smiled, thinking that yeah, he had felt nice earlier on, but that had been through the fabric of his pants and now he was unrestrained and that made it all even better.

His skin was hot as fire and as she wrapped her fingers around his thickness, she could feel her mind losing the battle.

"I want you, Regina, is that bad?"

Blowing out a breath, she lifted her face to his. "I don't know, probably… but I want you too."

At her words, one of his hand slid to her ass to press her even more into him and to have a better feel she took her hands off of him and rested them over his shoulders.

In this new position, a little moan escaped her lips because really, what else could she do? His exposed erection was pressing hard against her and if it wasn't for the fact that she was still wearing panties, he would have easily slipped into her.

Right where she wanted him.

"Robin…" She breathed out, meaning to ask him to please end the torture and have his way with her.

Attacking her mouth with a heated kiss, Robin squeezed her against him and her arms immediately went to circle his neck. She liked it; being like that with him was tasting new waters and it wasn't necessarily bad. He knew exactly what he was doing and he was doing it good.

That way he continued to kiss her as his hand wrestled its way between their bodies and down between her legs. Once there he pushed the brim of her panties to the side, his finger brushing for a short second over her wetness.

Regina shivered, wishing for the contact to be repeated.

"Don't stop-" She mumbled against his lips, about to tell him that she wanted him to touch her real nice; but before she could make her voice be heard, he rubbed himself to her and all she managed to emit was a raspy groan.

"Fuck, you're so wet already, love." Breathing hard, Regina just closed her eyes. "I'm going to take this off, okay?" Nodding she, helped him kick her panties away and then laying her down on her back, he accommodated himself on top of her, right between her legs.

With her mind clear off everything that wasn't her current sensations, Regina welcomed the weight of his body against her as his hot erection settled right between her slick folds.

Sure, the angle was all wrong for him to slip into her but the sensation of his entire length sliding against her clit was enough to make her moan.

Lowering his mouth, he kissed her, his hips moving against hers, pushing into her but not quite doing it as she really wanted. It felt good, of course it did but the craving she was having was for more.

Moving her hands into his hair, Regina wrapped her legs around him. She wanted him closer, much closer than what he already was but that would only happen one way.

"Robin… please." She sighed, rotating her hips when he was pushing against her.

"Please what, love, tell me what you want?"

Not feeling like sugarcoating it, she told him right as it came off her mouth. "I want you inside, I want you to fuck ne so good that I can only think of your cock."

"Well take it." Hissing, Robin all of a sudden pushed his length deep into her and she was left a quivering fool in his embrace.

"Like this?" His voice came out as strained, but that didn't mean that the smirk in his mouth vanished.

Regina gasped, her eyes opening wide. He was stretching her in the most delightful way and the fact of who he was… a man with whom she shouldn't be doing this at all only added more fuel to the fire that burned her body.

"Oh yeah… like that… so good."

Settling deep into her, Robin groaned, his elbows resting at each side of her head as he began the process of thrusting in and almost out, in an almost out, letting her feel all of him before repeating the action over and over again.

"Oh." She whispered as her breathing started to become a little labored. She didn't know that else to say, so trying to keep some control she bit hard on her lips.

It was insane, it really was, and as he used the strength of his arms to hold himself over her, Regina wrapped her legs around his narrow hips to let him guide her through this.

"Fuck, I've been wanting you like this a while now, you knew that?" His voice was dark a whisper that made her shiver and she could only respond with a nod, then he pressed his lips back to hers and kissed her long and deep.

Now, when Robin slipped inside of her, he started by moving slowly, but by now his pace was picking up and Regina had to break away from his lips once again to throw her head back in delight. By then his rhythm was rough and steady and she could tell that she was going to be sore in the morning.

She moaned at the intense pleasure and then she dared to look into his intense eyes. He was fully concentrated in what he was doing and she also noticed that his cheeks were aflame with passion and that his swollen lips were parted just the slightest bit to let his ragged breath come out.

He has never looked better in her eyes and she was entranced. He looked wild, his eyes had a feral glint that she was liking too much and she couldn't help but to give into moving her hands up his head so that she could run her fingers through his silky hair.

"I've been wanting this too…"

"Yeah? Then enjoy it, love." He panted and Regina parted her lips in delight, liking his accent when in the high brims of his passion.

"I want more… harder-" At that he slammed hard into her and she nearly sobbed. It was almost too much but she loved the rhythm already and feeling close, she leaned into him to capture his lips with hers before pulling away once more to trash her head against the mattress.

"Oh… my God…"

Moaning and biting hard on her lips while running her hands down to his neck, her eyes fixed deep into his. The intensity of his eyes focused only on her own eyes. It was almost obscene and she did everything in her power to hold onto his gaze, but he was pounding into her with all he had and she was taking it all, every inch of him burying deep into her and it's just too hard to maintain a bit of sanity.

She was getting delirious, almost to the verge of ecstasy and still he pounded harder and harder.

"God, look what you're making me do… I'll get in so much trouble."

"Wanna stop?" She moaned as her head plunged forward so she could rest it into the crook of his neck. He nudged at her cheek with his raspy one and when she looked back up he touched her lips with his tongue.

"Fuck no." Keeping the pace, he traced the corner of her mouth with the tip of his tongue.

Swallowing hard down, she closed her eyes, surrendering herself into the moment and in a new attack to her sanity, his tongue broke pass her lips once again to kiss her properly, and this time she didn't break away.

As they kissed, she felt the pressure building to its maximums inside of her and after a solid thrust from his part it finally flooded through her body in huge waves of pleasure. He swallowed her moans and whimpers while the force of her orgasm hit her hard.

He continued with his hard pounding and it took everything in her not to scream and yell her lungs out.

It feels divine, this is how she has wanted to feel that night and now that she was in this great ride, she didn't want to get down. Death felt so far away, life was what was running through her veins and she could feel it pumping all over her.

But as everything else in life, all good things must come to an end and as her body calmed down she breathed out. Maybe she scratched him down his back a bit and maybe even pulled at his hair, she was not really sure, all she knew was that he was not complaining.

Without losing tempo, he pulled away from the kiss but he kept his lips pressed against her and Regina could feel him throbbing inside of her and she could tell that he was close.

"How was that, coming on my cock?" He asked breathless and she snorted.

"Amazing…"

"Yeah?" With that said, he clutched hard at her and his thrusts became harder, almost desperate and kind of erratic. "Oh… I'm close, baby."

He pulled out, grabbing for his erection and empting his warm essence over her stomach. He hissed as he did that and Regina blinked her eyes close and she decided to enjoy the moment.

Then, after his body started the process of calming down he leaned over her, pinning her between his body and the mattress as their foreheads rested against one another.

It felt nice… even peacefully and as she allowed her breathing to mingle with his, the frantic beating of her heart went slowly back to normalcy.

"That was… brilliant."

Humming in agreement, she felt him roll over so that he could lay by her. Once there, he wiped her clean with one of the blankets before throwing it to the floor.

"Please let me sleep until late… I'm whipped." She said snuggling against him and closing her eyes.

Robin scoffed, kissing the top of her head and feeling as she slowly drifted off. He followed her soon after, not even imagining the scare that awaited him the next morning when he would wake up to find her gone…


	10. Chapter 10

Breathing into a low groan that barely made it pass his throat, the man known as Robin Locksley started to slowly crawl out of the deep slumber he has been submerged into until a second ago.

It was a gradual thing, waking up… his still fuzzy brain apparently wanted to hold onto those last vestiges of sleep a little longer and it manifested that need by refusing to let go of him. His eyes wouldn't open, his consciousness would come and go and every muscle of his body would fail to follow the command to move.

He struggled with it for a while, and when he was finally able to at least hold onto a bit of wakefulness, his body simply resented him for trying to stir.

"What the…" He hissed as he threw a hand over his still closed eyes, his mouth curled into a strained grimace that spoke volumes about how he was feeling.

He was in pain, that was the first clear thought to run through his mind. It hurt to breath, it hurt to move and it was actually hard to focus on anything other that the discomfort spreading through his entire abdomen and running straight up his chest.

It was a rather inconvenient thing if you asked him and as he waited for the sensation to dull on it's own, he couldn't help but to think that he was feeling the same way he would feel the morning after taking a bloody beating… or maybe even as if he has…

Cutting the thought right there and his eyes opening in abrupt recognition, the correctional officer's heart halted… the muscle renewing its beating several second later with even more force than before. It was hammering hard into his chest, because as he lay in bed he suddenly remembered what happened the day before and why he was feeling like crap.

He has been shot.

Sure, he has been conveniently geared up for such an event so the bulletproof vest stopped the projectiles to inflict too much damage; but still, the impact has been too close for him to be completely unharmed.

It has rattled him, each and every one of the shots stealing the breath out of his lungs and yes, the whole event definitely knocking him off his feet. He even remembered checking himself before bed and confirming that as much as he has feared, the force of the bullets also left some huge bruises onto his flesh.

Baring his teeth and hissing at the pain, Robin looked down to his torso, the blue depths of his eyes scanning the inflicted area to corroborate that yes, his skin was still viciously decorated into angry blacks and purple shades in three different spots.

"…bloody hell." He mumbled, his voice coming out in a raspy groan as he forced himself into a sitting position.

It hurt to do so, ridiculously so, but he sucked it up, his eyes automatically searching through the room and finding himself to be alone.

There was no one else with him there…

With an intense sense of dread sending an icy-cold shiver down his spine, Robin looked again, first roaming along his bed, then to the other one… and still, there was nobody…

_Regina is gone_… His mind warned him as another wave of memories invaded him…

It was a new recollection of the events that happened the previous night in that very room… pleasant memories of flesh against flesh, tangled limbs and deep hungry kisses.

Yes, he has gone to bed with her… hell, more than that he had sex with her, he threw all precaution out the window and simply gave into that sweet urge of possessing the woman in all sense of the word.

It has been good, better than anything he would have dreamed of. True, it was definitely something he hasn't been expecting, not with the precarious situation at hand but what could he say? The moment he felt her hands on him and the warmth of her body permeating into his own being, he lost it.

The tension between them, the one that has been accumulating over the past few weeks just reached to a point of no return and he gave into her. As a result he let his guard down and instead of handcuffing her as protocol dictated or at least securing the area so she wouldn't try to escape, he just let her be…

"Shit… shit, shit." He chanted, ignoring the pain taking over his body and jumping to his feet, images of the woman already on her way to Mexico tormenting him.

Groaning and beating himself over how stupid he has been, Robin hurried towards the bathroom to see if by any chance she was there. By then he was in full alert mode, all his senses on edge.

"Regina?" He called for her, opening the bathroom's door and hoping with every ounce of his being for her to be there. But she wasn't… she wasn't anywhere in the motel room.

Turning on his bare feet and reaching for the sweatpants he has been wearing the night before, Robin pulled them up his legs quickly, his intention dressing up so that he could try his luck finding her.

Who knew, maybe if he moved his cards right, he could catch her before Mary Margaret could even know she has been gone…

With that in mind, he grabbed a shirt and started to move to pick up his bag. He was only halfway there when he noticed that Regina's stuff were still there and before he could even start making sense out of that, the door suddenly burst open to reveal none other than Regina walking in with two shopping bags hanging from her forearms and a smaller brown paper one pressed to her chest.

"Well, look who's finally woken up." She said with half a smile on her face as she closed the door behind her back.

On his part, Robin just watched her, his heart still beating ridiculously fast into his chest and his eyes following her movements as she put the contents of the plastic bags over the small table close to the door.

He was shaken but relieved to see her, as her escaping would have left him out of a job, but also, because it would have made him feel like a damn clown after what happened between them.

"I hope you're hungry because I think I ordered two of everything in the menu. I also hope the warden gave you a nice company credit card as I definitely told them to charge all of it to the room."

Blowing out a breath he didn't even know he has been holding, Robin held onto his rumpled shirt a little tighter. "You went out to get food." He stated, more to assure himself than to question her.

The woman shrugged, turning around on her heels so that she could face him, her warm chocolate eyes fixing deep into his as she used the edge of her teeth to bite into the corner of her lips.

"I was starving… and your phone ringing nonstop wasn't letting me sleep much."

Taken out of his trance by her words, Robin swore under his breath while quickly reaching for his phone. Once the device was in his hand, he noticed that he had fifteen missed calls from Mary Margaret.

"Fuck." He blurted out without thinking much because he just knew his boss had to be half furious and half worried about his lack of response. She was going to chew his ear off and he would have to just shut his mouth and take it.

Clearing her throat, Regina ran a hand through her hair, the movement making Robin look at her again. "I hope you didn't get in trouble… for staying the night out… you know, trouble at home."

Blinking two times rapidly and then a third, Robin frowned, for a moment not really getting what she was talking about. When he finally understood, he snorted.

"Oh, no… not at all… I mean, there's only me at home so... It was actually the boss calling, she must be furious by now."

Taking in a deep breath and then blowing it out through her mouth, Regina snorted almost nervously. "Okay, that's good… I mean the thing of being just you because any other way would have made this weird… and yeah I know I should have asked before but… you know..." She sighed again, reaching for the brown bag and taking out what looked like coffee. She took a sip out of it before talking again. "So do you like pancakes? I also got coffee, real coffee and not that watered down thing they give us in prison."

Narrowing his eyes as he saw something he has never imagined seeing, Robin took a few steps in her direction.

Was is it him or was the infamous Regina Mills, the one who was more apt to get disciplinary shots or end in solitary for running her mouth with her usual cutting and maybe even nasty attitude rambling?

It definitely felt just like she was, like she was unusually nervous or tiptoeing around him all of a sudden. There was even a furious blush taking over her pretty features and for a moment, he forgot where he was, who she was and everything that told him she was something he shouldn't pursuit.

It lasted for a few seconds though, because as soon as he realized where was his mind going, he put a stop to it.

Sure, what happened the night before has been amazing… but it was something that had to die there.

Yes, they were obviously into each other, but by giving into the moment last night they were supposed to have gotten it off their system… which was a good thing as the tension has been building for so long now that it was suffocating, but now that the deed was done he should get back to being professional.

She was an inmate, he was her custody guard and he needed to act as such… even if she looked as good as she was looking right in that moment or if the promise of her rosy-red lips was calling for him to just lean forward and kiss her.

"You shouldn't have gone outside on your own. It was reckless and stupid." He said, reaching for the coffee in her hand and drinking from it; then he put it over the table with the rest of the things she brought… getting a bit closer in the process. "Not to mention dangerous."

And that was the best way to describe what she did. If he would have called the authorities on her they would have treated her like a fugitive, not to mention that being on her own with what appeared to be very dangerous enemies on the lookout for her wasn't the smartest thing to do either.

At his words, one of her eyebrows rose high and she lifted her face to him. She was close, close enough for him to feel her breath tingling against his lips, making him realize that invading her personal space like that was extremely out of place from his part. At least if he really meant to start acting according to his position.

"Well…" She began to say, her voice low in her throat as she rose a little on the tip of her toes to then allow her feet to lay flat on the floor again. "Apparently that's what I do best, reckless and stupid."

And apparently, so did he, because with her face pointing straight in his direction and a few rays of sunlight slipping through the curtains shinning into her eyes, her stare turned into the deepest pools of honey and well, staring into them forced him to do something rather stupid…

He did what he a minute ago told himself never to do again and he kissed her.

Her response to that was immediate, and as soon as his mouth was on hers she parted her lips to give him access to slide right in, her tongue receiving his with a languid stroke while her arms wrapped around his neck.

Robin hummed into the moment, and with the vague thought that no, that he wasn't going to get this woman off his system so easily, he circled her waist with one arm, bringing her closer and tossing the shirt he has been holding so that he could put that other hand to a much better use.

He slid it into her hair, her silky strands swallowing his fingers as his hand curved over her scalp.

They kissed liked that for a while, slow at first… tongues brushing warmly against each other and then a little harder, hungrier, her hands moving into his own hair and then down to his shoulders as they tried to absorb each other through their mouths.

It felt good, _she_ felt good… her body pressed to his, the strong taste of coffee on her tongue intoxicating all his senses and the pad of her fingers pressing against him soothing. But then his phone started to ring and knowing it was from the prison, he had to pull away, motioning to Regina to give him a moment and then making it into the bathroom so that he could speak freely.

It was indeed from the prison, and after assuring Mary Margaret that everything was under control and yes, after listening to her go on and on about how worried and mad she was at him for not taking her calls, she told him how they were going to proceed before hanging up.

Robin took the opportunity to use the bathroom and take a quick shower, using the distraction as a way to get back some of the self-control he lost earlier on. He somehow managed; the cold spray of water falling like sharp needles over his skin combined with Mary Margaret's attitude sobered him down from the high Regina put him in such a way that he was pretty much sure his brain finally gave up on being so taken by her…

That was what he believed, after all he had enough of her during the night so there was no way his body could crave more… he convinced himself of that and boy, he has been wrong.

He only had to step out of the bathroom to find her sitting over the table, her eyes shinning mischievously as she scanned him over to know that no, that he definitely didn't get enough of her so he was probably going to kiss her again… maybe even more.

That has been his intention, but as he was making his way to her, she gasped and jumped down from the table.

"Oh my God, Robin…"

Halting on his tracks by the sudden edge on her voice, Robin studied her, noticing how her face was now a mask of raw concern; but before he could ask her what happened, Regina made it to him and lifted a hand to his bare chest, her fingers ghosting against his bruised flesh.

"Is this because of what happened yesterday?"

Looking down to where her digits met his skin, Robin bit into his lips. "It was from the shots, yes. It's nothing." Sure, it hurt like hell but he was going to live.

Sucking in a deep breath, Regina closed her eyes and buried her face into the crook of his neck and feeling the tension in her body radiating in huge waves, he immediately wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey, it's okay."

"No it's not okay, Robin. They tried to kill my father and almost succeeded, look what they did to you… and they are threatening to hurt Mal's daughter; all because of me, because they want to get to me. So don't tell me any of this is alright."

Rubbing her back and pressing his nose into her hair, Robin inhaled deep into her scent. He wished he could tell her something to make her feel better, but the truth was that he didn't know what.

He didn't have the words, so instead of talking out of his arse he just kissed the top of her head and held her closer.

"But I'll fix it, I'll end _all _of this nonsense." She added stubbornly, pulling away a little so that he could look into his eyes.

Not knowing if he liked the determined look in her eyes, Robin arched an eyebrow. "And how is that?"

With the same fire that started to burn in her eyes quickly extinguishing, Regina's face dropped and he saw her for more than what she was. Yes, in prison she was a brash, impetuous woman that never really cared about the consequences of her actions… but right in that moment she was just her… Regina, without the mask on, scared… vulnerable. "I… I don't want to think about it now or about anything, you understand?"

He believed he did, but before he could tell her so, Regina closed the distance between them and kissed him. She kissed him hard, her tongue sliding pass his lips and then swirling around his firmly.

Robin humored her, kissing her with the same fervor, his hands closing around her hips as she took all of what she wanted from the kiss. When he finally pulled away, he was itching to have more of her. But he couldn't, as much as he wanted it, their time alone was running out.

"Regina, the warden is sending someone for us as we speak. They'll be here soon." He said, not wanting to get too deep into the moment only to be rudely interrupted.

"Then we'll have to hurry." She said, pulling her dress off and then reaching for Robin's pants to pull them down.

Robin just watched her slide his clothes off, the pain extending all over his torso a secondary thing now because as it happened, Regina had nothing underneath her dress so by pulling it off she ended up completely bare and well, the image was just lovely.

She was perfect and he didn't think he would ever get tired of seeing her like that.

"I want you, and I need this so don't say no, Robin."

That was all it took for him to let go of any hesitation he could have. Hell, it even sent a small shiver to run down his spine and wanting to feel all of her, he pulled her close and kissed her long and deep.

"How long do we have?" She asked a bit breathless between quick sharp kisses.

Without letting go of her lips, Robin swirled around and pinned her against the wall, his knee parting her legs as his hand started to roam along her ribcage. "A little less than one hour."

"Okay… that would do, I don't need much anyway." And just like that, she was back at kissing him, her hips rotating a little so that she could rub her heat against his thigh.

Humming, Robin could feel himself starting to stir into life so he pressed harder against her, his tongue never stopping from exploring the sweet cave of her mouth as his cock nestled between their naked bodies.

"I don't want to hurt you though."

"I'll be alright." He said absentmindedly, cupping the swell of her breast in his hand while pinching her hardened peak between two fingers.

The response to his touch was an approving hum that barely traveled past her throat as her tongue peeked out to moisten her lips.

"I like it when you touch me like this." She purred, the low undertones of her voice making him shiver.

"Yeah?" He asked, doing the same to her other breast, her warm flesh filling the palm of his hand as he ventured to suck hot kisses along the column of her throat.

"Mhm." She mumbled, her hand reaching between their bodies to grab and then stroke his cock.

"Regina." He hissed, moving his own hands down her body and to her back so that he could squeeze her ass against him. The movement made her gasp, especially when he straightened his pose and retrieved his leg from between hers so that one of his lean fingers could replace it, touching her right where she was wet and aching.

The liquid heat that received him made him twitch in her hand and he added more pressure into his touch.

"What if I touch you like this, you like it too?" Feeling her shiver and growl while she mumbled what he believed to be a yes, Robin dragged his finger over her slit, probing a little…

But before he could take too much into the moment she pulled away.

"Let's take this over there." She guided him towards the bed, the same one they used during the night. Once there, she made him lay down on his back. "I'll take it from here, big guy. You just… lay there."

With that said, the inmate lowered herself over him, her lips immediately pressing over his chest tenderly and kissing her way down to his stomach. She made sure to cover the bruises, and blinking slowly into the image, he bit hard onto his lips.

What happened after that happened fast, one second the muscles of his abdominal area were tensing under her ministrations, sending a new wave of fresh pain to worm itself into him and then her mouth was on his cock, making his entire world spin with the feeling of her tongue running over his length.

"Of… shit, Regina… oh fucking…"

"What was that?" She teased, right before wrapping her lips over the crown of his erection and applying some suction.

Robin hissed, the sensation of having her tongue massaging his impossible hard cock was overwhelming…

"I've been wanting to taste you like this a while." Regina said and Robin moaned, his face flushed as she combined stroking with sucking.

"Really?"

Regina just looked up at him, her eyes, a clear darker shade shining as she found Robin's own eyes fixed on hers. She didn't respond with words though, she just slid the stiff erection deeper into her mouth until she took all of what she could of him in, sucking while her tongue ran in lazy circles along the underside of it.

"Feels fucking good." Taken over pleasure, he breathed out, not quite believing he had Regina Mills' mouth filled with his cock, taking him as deep as she could and then licking her way up, then back down, and them back up.

It was almost enough to drive him crazy, the tension in his lower stomach increasing to a point where it was a bit too much for his battered flesh.

"Mmm I could do this all day long but you know, time." She sucked him one last time before crawling over him, her lips going straight to raining kisses along the outline of his jaw as he circled her slender waist with both his hands.

"Should I take it from here?"

"No… not yet."

Regardless, he pressed her hard into him, throwing his head back against the mattress as her teeth and tongue started to teasingly nip and lap that special spot below his jaw that he loved so much to be treated, and while she worried his throat with his mouth, his fingers worked their sorcery on her flesh, squeezing her in his palms to get her as close as he could.

Feeling on edge, the blue-eyed man moved his hand to her sides and allowed his fingers to slide seductively over the bare skin of her hips. Then, he lifted her a little and lining himself in the right angle, he started to slowly slide into her.

"Sorry, love… but you know, time." With his eyes, a shade darker staring at her languidly and his lips curving slyly, he said.

Apparently not bothered by his impulse, Regina closed her eyes and arched into him. "God, Robin…"

Robin sunk deep into her, groaning with pleasure as she took him into her velvet heat, a liquid sensation that began in his lower stomach spreading through his entire body while she hovered on top of him.

"You feel… sooo good in me, Oh."

"You feel good too, baby."

As a response, she kissed him, Robin receiving her when she boldly plunged her tongue between his lips. Then, after letting her take control for a few seconds, reciprocating by pushing it back so he could be the one exploring her mouth with his kiss.

Kissing… while her hips rocked against him, that was the best way of savoring her and he found himself getting lost into the moment. It took his breath away, it made him feel dizzy with need and as he kissed her senseless, he realized he would never get enough of her.

"Hmm," She mumbled against his mouth, moving against him and slowly starting to pick up a rhythm that seemed to satisfy them both.

"Hmm." He said after a while, mimicking her and then with a grunt, he made the effort to sit up.

Once close to her, she circled his neck with her arm, he held her hard against him and then their lips meet again.

As they kissed, breathing into each other and drinking on their soft moans, it happened like it was meant to be; the moment carried them both into a sweet delirium where nothing other than satiating their need for one another existed; then as they came undone, one after the other, they collapsed in a heap, limbs tangled together and their hearts beating unsteady.

"I'm bloody beat up." He mumbled, his lips brushing against her forehead. And yes, he felt more than beat up, he felt awful in the aftermath of their moment of passion and for some reason that made him snort.

But the discomfort of his body was secondary, so ignoring the ache that was taking over his entire being, he held Regina against him, feeling the way her body started to relax.

"I don't want to go back. Is that bad?"

Ignoring his duty as his guard, Robin sighed, running the pad of his fingers down her spine. "I think it's normal… nobody in their right mind would want to go back."

She said nothing, not for a while so just to get her talking, he cleared his throat and settled his hand on the curve of her ass. "If you didn't have to you know, go back, where would you go?"

Snorting against him, she kissed his shoulder. "Costa Rica. There's a nice spot there my father used to take us when I was a girl, Playa Conchal. It's a little town by the beach, far from everything and everyone."

"Sounds nice."

Lifting herself a little, Regina looked at him dead in the eye. "I'm going to get out. Not now because that would be like shooting myself on the foot but I will, I'll fix this thing with Gold and I'll bolt."

His brows furrowed and he thought of everything Emma has told him about the woman's resources. "You mean like escaping?"

She shrugged. "He'll kill me if I stay there, you know that, right? I mean you saw what he is willing to do to shut me down. He'll kill me along with the rest of my family because I know far too much and well, because I really do have his money." She snorted, and part of him didn't want to hear, he didn't want to know.

"Regina…"

"You could come with me." She added with a smile and not knowing if she was serious, he scrunched his nose.

"And we'll do what, live as fugitives in Costa Rica?"

"I'll get to live and you… well, you wouldn't have to waste your life with a CO's salary and doing double shifts in that dreadful place."

Robin groaned, running his hand up to her lower back.

"You know you're putting me in a tight spot by telling me this, right?"

Puffing out a breath, she sat up. "I know. I'm telling you because I trust you… and because if the time comes for me to go I don't want you to get involved… I don't want you to get in my way and not because of this…" She said, pointing at the two of them. "But because if you do you might as well be sentencing me to death and I need you to understand that."

Fixing his eyes on hers, he sighed. Yes, she was definitely putting him on a tight spot, but he guessed he understood where she was coming from. He did get to see the extent of this Gold's need to silence her and yes, inside the prison she made for an even easier target.

On any day he could clock into his shift and get the report that she has been stabbed to death, or chocked as she slept and that wouldn't be good… he wouldn't like that.

"If you know so much, why don't you plead a deal? I'm sure the authorities will do anything to get such a big fish like Gold behind bars." He said, thinking about Emma once again. The woman would do anything to get some info on the man and she has mentioned to be willing to make a deal.

Groaning, she got to her feet and walked to where her stuff was; she was naked so for a while he just focused on her figure, the way her hips swayed, how perfect was her ass… but when his eyes moved to see how she retrieved the infamous pen drive out of her coat, his attention shifted.

"You see this?" She asked, walking back to bed. "Everything I need to bring him down is here, but I can't just turn it in because Gold has the authorities eating out of the palm of his hand. Look what happened to me, he tried to kill me… he really did and when I tried to defend myself they gave me life in prison. I have to be smart about this… I won't make the same mistake twice."

Robin sat down, running his hands through his hair.

"Now I'm going to ask another thing out of you. Would you hold this for me for a while. It won't be for much and it won't get you in any kind of trouble. I just need you to give it to my sister when she comes back in a few days."

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, he sighed deeply. A million thoughts running at full speed inside his mind; but when she gave it to him he took it, closing his palm around it and nodding.

Yes, he was going to get her out of prison, he really was going to…

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this was a little bonus chapter to make up for the next one as that one will be… a bit too much. It will be short but… anyway, you'll see… hope you enjoyed!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this one is going to be a short update. It was supposed to come as part of last chapter but I decided to separate them and give you room to swallow this bitter pill on its own. Anyway, thanks for reading and let me know what you think.

"Are you aware that sometimes people get this ridiculous need to be busy all the time as a way to avoid thinking about things that bothers them? It's like a trauma response or as one of my sponsors once told me, a fear-based reaction to their problems."

Narrowing her eyes and completely ignoring the voice speaking by her side, the dark-haired woman known as Regina Mills looked to the dozens upon dozens of books scattered around the floor, her mind scanning all over them so that she could decide which one to put back on the shelves next.

She was through the letter R and goddammit there were a lot of books starting with the damn consonant. That right there made her work a whole of a lot more annoying and she just knew she was going to take quite a while to organize that section of the prison's library.

"Regina, are you even listening to me?"

Chewing on the inside of her cheek absentmindedly, Regina hummed. "Sure I heard you, I was just deliberately ignoring you. God it's like Dr. Hopper rubbed on you in the worse possible way and I'm telling you Mal, it's annoying as hell." And really, for the last couple of hours the woman has been trying to get into her head and much as she would tell the prison's psychiatrist, she was saying nothing at all.

Yes, Mal was her closest friend and her confident, but what the woman wanted to know was something Regina wanted to keep to herself…at least for now, until she could figure out herself what was it.

"I'm just trying to help, I am worried about you and this… whatever it is that you are doing is simply making me want to… ugh, I don't know but I don't like it."

"I'm fine." Regina sighed, picking a couple of books and accommodating them in alphabetical order back on the wooden shelf.

Humming, the tall blonde crossed her arms across her chest. "Sure, you are so fine that you knocked all the books in this rat hole just to put them back up."

"I'm trying to organize this fucking mess, Mal, because how can you have a library where all the books are all over the place without being catalogued first. You have literature in the same row as law books and that's just wrong!"

Regina didn't realize she yelled each and everyone of her words until one of the inmates sitting at the table nearest to them complained.

"Keep your fucking voice down, sweet-cheeks, we are in the fucking library."

Not even thinking it twice, Regina grabbed a book and threw it in the inmate's direction. It didn't hit her but it did make her jump in surprise. "You shut up, you stupid little…"

"Hey, hey." Mal interrupted, grabbing Regina when she tried to walk to the table to maybe just hit the other woman. Fuck her aim, everyone knew that was shit but she knew she wasn't going to miss connecting her fist right in the woman's mouth. "Let's get a walk, okay?"

Staring daggers at the woman as Mal guided her out of the library, Regina snarled her lips.

"Okay what the hell is wrong with you?" Mal asked once in their cell.

Groaning and running both hands through her hair, Regina faced her bunk bed. "I told you I'm fine."

"Yeah and denial is the worst kind of lie, because it's the lie you tell to yourself."

"Seriously?" Regina turned on her heels so that she could stare at her friend right in the eye. "What, did you got a degree on psychology while I was gone? Wow."

"Don't get all smartass with me, I'm still going through some serious withdrawals and you know I get cranky when going through this shit and no, we can't both turn into assholes at the same time."

Taking in a deep breath, Regina dragged her hands down her face, covering her eyes for a few seconds before continuing the road down to her throat, place where she scratched furiously against her skin. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Sitting down, Mal shrugged. "No need to apologize."

"I know."

"So are you going to talk with me now?"

Closing her eyes and knowing she wasn't going to escape Mal's insistency, Regina decided to use half-truths. "I told you I'm fine… I'm just thinking about all of what's going on and about my father and it's a bit overwhelming. I haven't heard anything from him today and I just hate waiting."

Yes… waiting, it was a funny thing how time seemed to move with the speed of a crawl when you were waiting. It dragged into an excruciating eternity, it stopped altogether when all you needed was for it to move forward and it definitely added a lot of pressure on both your shoulders.

So no, she didn't lie about that part because waiting was exactly what had her so edgy, but it wasn't news of her father the ones she has been waiting for… no, it was Robin's.

Now, about her father's condition she learned through Zelena the night before when she called to give her an update on him. He was alright, out of danger in all sense of the world so it wasn't him the one she was worried about.

Robin was the one on her mind, the one that had her brain spinning at every hour of the day. And why would that be? Well, because she hasn't seen him or heard of him since she got back to prison three days ago.

Now sure, part of her mind wanted to think that he was just taking a few days off because well, he was pretty banged up and it just didn't make sense for him to be working so soon when he deserved to rest; but there was another part that wondered if maybe she made a mistake by giving him the pen drive.

What if Gold somehow traced it back to him and had him murdered for it? Or what if he just took the information and used it for his benefit? Sure, the money was in her sister's possession so it wasn't like he could use the pen drive to find out where it was, but there was a lot of valuable information in the little stick to benefit from it…

No…

She highly doubted Robin would do that when he knew it was her life that was at stake… he just wouldn't. It may be true that she didn't know the man well enough to know what was on his mind but she has been surrounded by countless of vile and despicable men to know Robin was not the kind.

He was something else… That was why she trusted him with something so valuable… why she was so smitten with him.

Not in that moment though, actually, in that moment she was half mad and half worried about him because seriously, how hard was to send her a message to let her know everything was okay?

She had a phone, and even when he didn't know the number and probably that she had the device hidden in her cell, he could have contacted Zelena and pass the message through her. He could have also passed the call through the administrative or what the hell would she know, but something should have been done.

But nooo, the calendar marked the third day since she heard from him and that had her feeling edgy, antsy and a little bit like a fool….

"I'm pretty sure your father is alright; didn't your sister tell you that?"

"Yes." Regina replied a bit dryly while lifting her head up and just like that, she saw a very familiar silhouette out of the corner of her eye.

It was Robin, and she looked up a little too late but she was pretty much sure he has been looking straight into her cell.

Blinking a few times and letting out a snort, she shook her head, her mood giving a turn for the better just knowing that he was there. "Yes, you're right, he's fine. Thanks for the talk I'm going to… I'll be right back in a moment, okay?"

Putting her feet in motion, Regina walked out of her cell to find out that Robin was walking down the stairs and heading towards the corridor that lead to the patio. He was focused so he didn't notice she started walking after him, the sudden urge to see his face up close getting the better of her.

She kept her distance though, her mouth turning into a smirk when she saw him enter the utility room they used the last time to kiss a little. Maybe he noticed after all, and the promise of getting a one on one with him after so many days of not seeing each other got her tingling all over.

What could she say? Even though the circumstances left much to be desired, there was no denying that the night they spent together has been amazing. If she wanted to, she could still feel the way her skin burned with his touch and how her entire being trembled pressed to him.

The man simply shook her entire foundation and she couldn't wait to feel it again, even if it was just with some kissing.

With that in mind, she looked all around and when she was sure there was nobody watching, she opened the door and walked into the small room.

The only problem? Robin was there but he wasn't alone, no, he was with Emma fucking Swan and she didn't know who looked more horrified with her presence, if Robin or the woman.

"What the fuck?" She blurted out. Not that she needed them to tell her. Sure, she didn't catch them kissing or even close to each other, but why else would a guard be in a damn closet with an inmate.

"Regina…" Robin said almost dumbly while trying to reach for her and as a reflex, she pushed his hand away. "Listen. This-" He said pointing at him and Emma. "Is not what you think."

Chuckling and feeling oh so stupid, the brunette lifted a hand motioning him not to speak. No, she wasn't going to make a scene because really, it wasn't worth it, she was going to just turn around, walk out and go back into her cell…

"Regina just wait."

"Let her fucking go so we can get this over with."

Now… ever since she was a little girl, Regina has struggled to control her temper. Her mother liked to say that she was like a pack of dynamite with an extremely short fuse and yeah, she also liked to remind her how she was going to get into a lot of trouble during her life because of that.

That statement proved to be right, and even though she has learned over the years to keep some sort of self-control, there were times when a bright flash of white light would momentarily blind her and it was right in that moment when the worse of her would come out; and well, she just saw the light flash in front of her eyes and before she even knew what she was doing, she was moving towards Emma.

It was as if her entire being acted on its own accord, and her brain, too slow to react just watched it as if in an out of body experience… except that it wasn't. Everything that was happening was very much real so that way, before she could even weight in the repercussions of her actions, she closed her fist and punched Emma right in the face.

It was something she should have done a long time ago. For what she did to her and especially for what she did to Mal…

Now… in the middle of the confusion, Regina put one and one together, a collage of information suddenly raining down on her. It happened quickly, her brain digging and digging until it suddenly hit her.

Emma was now on Cruella's side, that was why she drugged her, to get some info out of her so they could pass it to Gold. She drugged her, Robin came out of nowhere… and now the two of them were meeting in secret in a closet. After she gave him the pen drive…

Feeling her heart skip a beat, Regina turned to look at Robin. She wasn't able to, because before she had the guts to, Emma straightened herself and got in her face.

"Fucking bitch, you broke my nose." Emma complained before moving forward and grabbing Regina by the throat, pushing her to the wall and smacking her head against the concrete.

It hurt, but she was suddenly too numb to react… all she was thinking about was the pen drive… her only ticket to freedom and the only thing that was keeping her alive.

"That's enough, Swan." Pushing the woman away and telling her to go to her cell, Robin turned to Regina, his eyes immediately settling into her brown warm orbs. Once alone he tried to reach for her again. "Are you alright?"

Pursing her lips and lifting her chin up, Regina stared at him defiantly. Her gaze telling him he better drop his hand from the back of her head if he didn't want to lose it. He did, his face dropping a little too. "Where's my pen drive?"

Now, even though she meant to keep her voice devoid of any emotion, it trembled a little and she hated herself for it, but keeping what was left of her dignity intact, she acted as it never happened.

"Let's talk somewhere else."

As if in a trance, Regina followed him across the prison and yes, straight towards solitary. She entered though, knowing that was the best place to confront the man.

"Alright, first of all, whatever you are thinking, I assure you it's not true." Robin said once the door was closed.

Not wanting to beat around the bushes, Regina went straight at it. "Are you working with Gold?"

"No." He said, his voice firm and his eyes focused on hers. "There's also nothing going on between Swan and myself, in case you are wondering."

Chuckling bitterly, Regina threw her head back, not believing any of what he said. Sure, Robin turning out to be a player who was making his way into fucking whatever inmate he pleased was one of the best possible scenarios, but still, she didn't like it.

"So are you going to tell me you just happened to stumble in that room with her by coincidence? Because I saw you walk in willingly and we both know for what you use that closet. God, it even makes me wonder how many inmates you've gotten in there."

His lips pursed and he lowered his eyes for a second, then, he was back at using his stupid eyes on her. "I've only used that closet with you."

"And with the Emma?"

"It wasn't like that… with Emma, Regina…"

"Why then, what business you had with her in there?" And why did she just wasted three days thinking about him just to have him go to Emma before even seeing her?

Robin scoffed nervously, running a hand along his jawline. "I can't… tell you, just trust me on this one."

Blinking slowly, she shook her head.

Sure, she knew she had no right over him, but still… it bothered her, not only because she felt somehow betrayed, but also because he didn't have the guts to stand in front of her face, look at her in the eye and just tell her what was going on.

But not wanting to let him know how she felt or to let her stupid jealousy distract her out of what was important, Regina cleared her throat and snarled her lips.

"Where is my pen drive?" She asked again, her voice an angry hiss.

"I have it. Just not here."

"Well I need you to bring it to me."

His mouth twisted just as his hand went to scratch the back of his head. "I can't bring that in here, you know that."

She nodded, knowing he was right. Besides, having it herself was a very dangerous move, that's why she gave it to him. "Okay, then I'll call Zelena so she can come and get it from you."

"Regina, you are clearly upset and not thinking right so just… I'll keep the pen drive until we clear this up."

"So you can give it to Swan? For fuck's sake, Robin! I happen to know she is working for Gold so do you really think I'm stupid enough to trust you now? You played me once, but I'll be damned if I let you play me again."

He gasped as if in shock. "Regina, I never played you…"

"Then just tell me what where you doing with Emma in that closet?" She hissed, her voice dripping venom.

"Jesus… Regina." He hissed back, dropping his arms to his sides in defeat. For a few seconds he didn't say anything, but Regina still waited… almost holding her breath, waiting for him to say anything.

"Emma… she's not an inmate. She's an undercover FBI agent investigating Gold… through you… and she…"

That was all of what Regina heard, the rest was nonsense being mumbled in the air. The words swirled around her, mocking her… kicking her in the stomach so that she had no choice but to sit down on the bed as he talked his talk.

She just couldn't believe what was being said, because apparently, not only did she had Gold after her, but she now also had the FBI in the lookout of that pen drive…

"Is that why you slept with me? So that I could warm up to you and just…"

"No, no… Regina… don't even think like that, okay? Because that's just not true." He said, lowering himself so that he could sit on his heels in front of her.

She laughed, the sound carrying no trace of amusement. Actually, she felt like crying so she covered her eyes with her hands, trying to evade the tears to fall. But God, she was so stupid… and apparently, she was so dead.

"Look at me." Robin said and she shook her head no.

"Did you tell Emma about the pen drive?"

"No."

"Were you going to?"

"No. Not without your consent, but I think it's something you should consider. Through her we could make a deal for you to-"

Letting her hands fall from her face, Regina looked at him as if he was crazy. "A deal? The woman fucking drugged me to get me talking and now you want me to trust her my life, with my freedom?"

"If not with her then with someone higher up, Regina, but you need to see the bigger picture here. Escaping and living in Costa Rica is not a real option, but with this we can get you free for real… under the law."

Pushing him away, Regina got up to her feet and walked to the wall opposite to the bed. "I want you to give me the pen drive."

"So you can do something stupid? No."

Doing a double take, Regina turned to him. "What did you just say?" Did he really just tell her he wasn't going to give her the pen drive?

Not even letting him answer, Regina lost it again and going to him, she pushed him as hard as she could. He didn't even flinch and just limited himself to look at her, his eyes somber.

"You can't do this to me…" She hissed and yes, her eyed were now clouded with unshed tears. Didn't he get it? Didn't she explain already why that pen drive was so important to her?

Her life depended on it and he wanted to just keep it?

Pushing him again and again until he at last began to seem bothered, Regina hissed. "You fucking promised not to get in my way… you stupid asshole… you promised."

Holding her still when he apparently had enough, Robin groaned. "You're upset, and I won't talk about this with you like this."

Sucking in a shaky breath and feeling her tears finally fall, Regina tried to sneak out of his hold. It was almost impossible. "You promised."

Hating her broken tone even more than what she was hating the man, Regina closed her eyes.

"I also promised to keep you safe, and I will, Regina, just trust me." He said, brushing her tears off her face.

"Don't you touch me again…" She spat, finally breaking free of his hold.

"Alright…" Robin said after an excruciatingly long pause. "I'll leave you here so you can calm down."

"Screw you."

Robin sucked the inside of his lips into his mouth and then, after telling her how he was going to come back and talk to her when she was ready, he left, leaving Regina to go down to the floor so that she could sit and cry…

She was feeling hopeless… thing she hadn't feel in such a long time, and as she sat there, broken up… she decided that she needed to put her escape plan to a good use.

Yes… because if there was something she was sure of, it was that she wasn't going to be there by the end of the week and quite honestly, she couldn't wait for that to happen…

Robin keeping the pen drive was awful to her plans, but it didn't mean she couldn't just go on with the rest of it… no…. and this time, he better keep away for good.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

He made a mistake…

Actually, as he sat in a corner of the CO's lunch room with his elbows resting over his knees and his head hanging low between his shoulders, Robin couldn't do any other thing than to admit to himself that he has made more than a mistake in the past few days.

In a way, he has royally fucked up… he basically dug himself into a bloody hole and now he just didn't know how to get himself out.

He was trapped… he didn't know what to do and the more he thought about it, the worse he saw his chances of getting out of this one unscratched.

Now yes, it was obvious that to fix things he would have to give onto something, that he would need to compromise somewhere… the problem was that he didn't know what end of the rope he actually wanted to hold onto.

Regina or his job?

The answer should be clear, the decision should be easy, after all if there was something that was very clear in his mind was that this chain of bad decisions he has been dumbly falling into as of late started with her… when he was weak enough to cave into the most basic of misdeeds.

So yes, Regina Mills was the base of everything that has gone wrong in his life as of late, she was the original sin, if you will, not only because he slept with her, but because he started to care a little too much and because of that, he acted out of desperation when he thought he might lose her and admitted something that he should have never told her… something that could easily cost him his job…

Chewing on the inside of his cheek as he stared at his working boots absently, Robin cracked his knuckles, his lips partially pouted as he recalled the moment when he told her all about Emma Swan being an undercover agent investigating her.

It has been a reckless thing… telling her, as he should have kept it to himself; but the thing was that everything happened so fast in that moment that he wasn't able to get a hold to think things over.

No, he never had the chance, and all he could think back then was that he couldn't let Regina believe he has been playing her…

He saw it in her eyes, that was the first thing to invade her mind when she found him and Emma in that utility room and all he could focus on was that he didn't want her to believe that what happened with her in that hotel room was something he was used to do with other inmates, because it wasn't… so in a desperate attempt to hold onto her, telling her the truth was what he did.

It has been a mistake, he saw it now. Regina was… to put it kindly, she was a very volatile woman and by telling her he set up a time bomb that was going to explode at any given moment.

She was going to go after Swan the moment he put her out of solitary and one way or another the fact that he has been the one spilling the beans on a Federal investigation was going to come back and bite him in the ass.

If he was lucky, he would only get fired, but he could easily end up with a few charges on himself as well… not to mention that at the end of it all, Regina was equally pissed at him and would probably won't want to have anything with him after he revealed everything…

"Don't mind me telling you this, but you look like a man who needs a drink."

Lifting his head up, Robin watched as Neal Cassidy, one of his fellow guards at the prison sat by his side and offered what appeared to be a flask.

He eyed them suspiciously, both Neal and the small metallic flask, wondering if there was actually something stronger than water there.

By the sly smirk on the man's face, he would say that yes so he hesitated, as he definitely didn't want to be the bloke who sipped alcohol between shifts… but Neal was one of his closest friends and why the bloody hell no? He was already the bloke who had sex with an inmate and was stupid enough to be smitten by her already so this was nothing.

"You really work with this on you?" Robin asked after swallowing down what appeared to be rum and Neal clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth.

"How do you think I've survived this shithole for so long? Besides, the coffee is unbearable without a bit of this."

Snorting, Robin gave the flask back, thinking that yes, if he ended up without a job, at least he wouldn't have to drink that shitty coffee ever again.

"So what's with you?" Neal asked, taking a sip as well.

"Nothing, just getting ready for another shift."

"Really? Because you definitely look like a man who's about to walk to the electric chair."

"Yeah?"

He asked with a dry laugh, because he felt like that was his destination; after all he had to make a stop in solitary to have a talk with Regina that could end up sealing his fate and he didn't know what to think about that.

"Nah, mate, I'm just bloody tired. You know how Mary Margaret made me take those three days off and the free time only served to turn me into a lazy sloth. It will kick off."

"Hmm." Neal hummed, arching an eyebrow. "You sure this doesn't have to do with Mills?"

At the mention of the prisoner, Robin felt his blood turn to ice as it ran through his veins and for a moment all he could do was stare at Neal. Did he know something? Could it be that Regina told on him already?

"Mills?" He asked at last, proud that he was able to keep a straight face instead of freaking out like he should.

"Yeah, Mills… pretty brunette, nice figure, nasty attitude and a life sentence on her back? Does that rings a bell?"

"I know who Mills is." He said almost in a hiss because yeah, Neal knew that he knew. There actually wasn't a guard working that prison that didn't know about the woman… besides, Cassidy has been the guard Mary Margaret sent to pick both him and Regina from that hotel a few days ago so he was aware that they interacted outside as well.

"Oh I figure you know more than just who she is, Robin."

Clenching his jaw, Robin cleared his throat. Yes, Neal definitely knew… the question was how? "Just say what you want to say and stop beating around the bushes."

"Look man, I'm not saying anything… we're friends and I would never tell on you, but that's me… but if Mary Margaret would have sent anyone else to pick you two and that person saw what I saw, you wouldn't have the same luck."

"And what was what you apparently saw there?"

"Enough to know you two fucked there. And like I said, I won't say anything, you are hardly the first guard who screws an inmate that I know of and you definitely won't be the last. But because you are my friend, I will ask you to be careful. You see, these women… they are nothing but trouble and shit, Mills is on top of the list when it comes to being problematic."

Robin sighed, twisting his lips as he scratched the underside of his jaw… his thoughts running a thousand miles per second as he tried to remember what in that hotel room made Neal know.

"I see the appeal of her because yeah, she's damn hot and that fiery attitude can be a turn on. Hell, I know a few of the guys that have tried and failed to appeal to her and look who was the one getting a piece of that ass."

Neal snorted and Robin had to bite hard on his tongue not to say that it wasn't as simply as him getting a piece of ass… no… but he didn't say anything.

"I say good for you because at least you got one that's clean and after Marian I think it's great you are starting to move on; but Robin… you're moving onto the wrong tree because at the end of the day she will be nothing but a quick fuck and I know you, you are not the kind to settle for that and that's how things could turn dangerous for you. Anyway, just know that I have your back… just be careful, okay?"

Robin didn't even nod, he just sat there thinking that yes, he screwed up big time and now it was time to face the consequences.

Blowing out a breath, the man got to his feet and after going through his routine of starting another shift, he decided to head straight to the root of the problem, to solitary.

He has left Regina there the day before, more than a little upset and pissed as hell and he was sure that he was going to probably find her in an even worse mood.

He wasn't looking forward to it, but at the same time it was something that he couldn't delay.

Now, opening the door, the first thing he noticed was Regina sitting in a corner of the bed, her arms hugged to her knees and her chin petulantly lifted up. Her face was set into a stoic mask, but in her eyes he could see a storm brewing.

He also noticed that all her food has been thrown to the floor, untouched.

He wasn't surprised by that, it was no secret that the woman had quite a temper and that sometimes in her rotten moods she would do childish and stupid things like that.

"I'm going to take you didn't eat any of that before throwing it away."

As a response she said nothing, she just blinked her eyes a couple of times and kept staring straight ahead, her jaw painfully clenched.

"That was rather foolish, you must be starving."

Once again, she said and did nothing. She was deliberately giving him the silent treatment, thing that in his mind wasn't as bad as her going off on him as she did the previous day.

But still… it was bad, as he needed to have a talk with her and that wasn't going to work if she just sat there ignoring him.

Taking in a deep breath, the correctional officer cleared his throat, his arm lifting up so that he could run his fingers through his hair. "Alright, so I know you're probably still upset… but I was hoping we could have a talk." He began, not really knowing how else to start.

"Did you bring my pen-drive?" She asked, her voice raw and raspy, but even though she spoke to him, she kept her eyes fixed into the wall opposite to the bed.

Biting into his lips as he thought on the pen-drive safely guarded in his flat, Robin shook his head. "No, I don't have it on me right now."

"Then there's nothing to talk here."

Lowering his head, he swallowed on dry. Yes, he knew she was upset about that so deviating the subject from where he needed things to go, he tried to reassure her.

"I have it, and I don't plan on using it for anything without your consent, so you don't have to worry about that."

Snorting, her head tilted to the side and she finally allowed herself to look at him, her eyes hard as steel. "You say I don't need to worry… but tell me how can I not when for all I know you already gave it to your FBI girlfriend or worse, to Gold?"

Licking his lips and scoffing because there she was with the Emma thing, Robin settled his eyes deep into her own stare. "I haven't given it to anyone… nor will I, and Swan is not my girlfriend."

"So you say." She added with a roll of her eyes and an unamused chuckle. "You know… I've been here thinking all night long… wondering how was that. Did she actually send you to fuck me or did you improvise? And God I just… put it so easy for you."

"Regina-" He walked to her, only stopping when she lifted a hand indicating him not to come any closer.

"That was very shitty of you. I mean, I'm just an inmate and… a means to an end in the big picture, but that… was fucked up. I trusted you with something that was very important to me and you just…" She shrugged, chuckling again and pressing a fist to her forehead.

Ignoring her previous warning of not getting near her, Robin closed the distance between them and sat on the bed. Regina opened her mouth to protest and even eyed him indignantly, but before she could kick him out he cut her off.

"I need you to listen to me very clearly on this one because it apparently didn't settle on that thick head of yours when I told you yesterday. I'm not working with The Feds or Emma and let alone with Gold, and what happened between us didn't happen because any ulterior motive other than because we both wanted it."

"Oh don't give me that bullshit." She groaned, shaking her head and Robin took the chance to grab her chin to make her look at him.

"Now don't start with the attitude and just look at me in the eye and see if I'm lying or not."

Regina did, she looked at him dead in the eye, but she said nothing.

"You trusted me once, so why can't you trust me on this one? I haven't lied to you… I mean I told you about Swan and that… it can cost me my job and I told you, Regina, I told you so that you could trust me and look what it did, it just made you all pissed at me."

"Yeah, of course it made me be pissed off at you. From the very beginning you knew what Emma was doing and you just… you never told me."

"Was I supposed to do that? Regina, I'm a guard here and I have duties and telling you about what was going on is a huge no in this scenario. I however have been trying to protect you from all this mess since day one because… shit Regina, because it's obvious that Swan will stop at nothing to get information from you and I've been the one trying to keep her in line."

Her eyes blinked and he reached for her hand. She didn't repel the touch so he was going to take that as a good sign.

"She did try to convince me to help her so I know what she's willing to do. Like the time when she drugged you, I was off duty and she called me, offering you as if you were a damn price to collect in exchange of me getting info from you. I refused, but when she implied she was going to ask another guard or that she would do it herself I dropped everything I was doing to come here and prevent her from doing what she meant to do with you."

Her eyebrow rose and she snarled her lips. "Maybe, or you just came to take what was offered."

"Oh come on, we both know that's not what happened. I could have had you right on the spot if I really wanted… it wasn't like you were putting it hard for me. I could have bed you right then and trust me, it was a struggle to say no; but I did, I didn't let it get too far because that's the kind of man that I am. I never played with you and the only mistake I've made regarding you is caring too much."

As he said that, he interlaced his fingers with hers, hoping she could see he was being honest. On her part, she looked down to their hands, watching as he ran his thumb over her own, her lips parting so that she could blow out a breath.

"I can't… trust you on that… I can't."

Robin sucked in a breath, nodding, already knowing that whatever happened between them ended the moment she saw him get into that closet with Swan.

He should be alright with that, after all what they had was something that shouldn't have even begun and definitely something he shouldn't pursuit. It was an impossible… a mistake, one that should be cut right then and there.

But even though he was aware of all of that, it still stung. That's when he knew Neal was right, and that him getting too involved could end up being a problem for him.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way." He cleared his throat, his hand squeezing hers one last time. "If you want your sister to come and get the pen-drive just tell her to contact me… but Regina, just know that I'm willing to help in anything that you decide to do… I still wish you could take the right path in this one but it's all up to you."

With that said, he got to his feet and walked to the door, unlocking it and leaving it wide open for her to get out.

She looked at him uncertain, her eyes two pools of warm chocolate. "I can go?"

"You can go, I have no reason to keep you here other than to keep you safe. But Regina, Swan doesn't know that you are aware of everything, so there's that."

Narrowing her eyes as she kept staring at him, her lips curved into half a smirk. Then, she climbed out of bed. "Good, that way she won't see what's coming."

Robin watched her, their eyes stubbornly locked with one another until she walked by his side and left, and as he watched her move around, he wondered if he just didn't make another mistake.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, sorry it took me so long to update this one and sorry this chapter feels a bit rushed. Somehow, I lost my muses for this one but hopefully, they'll fully come back after this. Enjoy

She was the designer of her own catastrophe…

That right there was the only recurrent thought bouncing within Regina's skull as she planted both feet right in front of Cruella De Vil's cell in block B, chin tilted up and a defiant glint taking over her eyes.

Yes, that was exactly what she was… master and ruler of her own ill-fate… and as the women who had been lazily passing the time in the confinements of that cell got to their feet and grabbed her harshly to drag her in, it came into her mind that she was also her own worst enemy.

Realizing all of that shouldn't come as a surprise though; after all, that she ended up in jail was the direct result of her reckless acts.

It really was, it was her own damn fault as nobody made her associate herself with Gold in the first place… and nobody but herself decided that the only way to get revenge on everything the man did to her family was to steal from him and gather information of his shady business to take him down.

No. She did that on her own… just as she basically walked into the lion's den by getting into Cruella's territory that day.

"Well, well, well... look what the cat dragged in." Cruella said in fake amusement as she climbed out of her bunk bed. "Regina fucking Mills in my castle."

Arching an eyebrow, the wretched woman clicked her fingers and in a matter of nothing, her cronies surrounded Regina, one of them brutally twisting her arm behind her back and thus making the brunette wince.

"What do I owe the pleasure? Did you come so that I can finally mess up that pretty face of yours or will you finally feed me something I can give The Boss man."

Very careful of not taking her eyes from the woman's and on the lookout that her chin wouldn't drop an inch, Regina snarled her lips, hoping for her own sake that her plan wouldn't backfire on her.

She knew chances of that happening were high… and not for the first time she threw a silent curse under her breath for not having enough strength to go with her original plan.

Now, as for that one, all she had to say was that she sat on it for more than a couple of days and sure, it would have been so easy to go with it and simply expose Emma for what she really was. After all, it was no secret that inmates held no love for undercover Feds so going to Cruella and telling her all about that would have been enough to get Emma off her back…

But… because there was always a but, at the end she couldn't do it.

Why?

Well, as much as in pained her to admit it, she didn't do it for Robin's sake and in all fairness of being honest, she had to recognize how much that pissed her off.

It was just that… after the one he pulled on her, she didn't want to have any sort of consideration towards him… hell, she didn't even want to have him in her mind or to see him or anything related to him… but still, whether he was an unwanted memory or not, he ended up being the reason why she was risking her neck with this one.

He may not deserve it… but part of her wanted to believe that there was a slight chance that something of what they had was real and that tiny little part prevented her from doing something that could end up causing him trouble…

Yeah… that's how much he messed her up with his false intentions and half-truths, and because of that, for some reason she was even putting him first when it came to her her plans of revenge.

Not like it mattered in that moment, revenge was revenge and as long as this worked, the reality of why she was going this route would forever remain with her.

"Let's cut the bullshit, Cruella. I came to stand here, face to face with you because you see… I don't need to use the newbies to carry on with my messages. You and I have our own issues to deal with, but those issues are ours and nobody else's, so next time you send Emma to menace Mal's kid I'm going to personally come here and kill you, you understand?"

"What?" The blonde scoffed, the grin in her face fading a little.

"I have to tell you this, I thought you were a lot of things but a coward was not one of them… but to have someone do your shit because you don't have the guts to do it yourself? You are all disgusting."

"What the fuck are you talking about, what kid am I supposed to be menacing?" Cruella asked in a dry chuckle and yes, Regina had to bite hard into the inside of her check to prevent a satisfied grin to corrupt her face.

She was not there yet, but if she made Cruella believe Emma had a deal with Gold behind her back, she would do anything in her power to destroy her competition and that, way, she could keep her hands clean and yeah… she wouldn't expose Robin as the one who gave the information that Swan was actually an undercover agent.

Arching an eyebrow and then snorting when the woman gave her a puzzled look, Regina hissed. "Don't play dumb with me. Emma was clearly trying to get Mal to talk so that she could tell…" Stopping there, Regina narrowed her eyes, in her mind hoping to give the impression that what was she was about to say was something that just occurred to her. "You really didn't know? I mean… does that mean she's working behind your back? Wow, I have to give it to Gold, he is-"

Before Regina could keep talking, Cruella lifted a hand and hit her across her face as hard as she could. It made Regina's head jerk to the side and hissing in annoyance, she darted her eyes angrily towards the other woman's.

"Gothel, go clear the bathroom, you… bring me this Emma to the last stall. Now."

Without any more preambles, two of Cruella's cronies walked out of the cell and they were soon followed by the rest of them. That way, Regina was taken to the now deserted showers and a minute later, Emma was brought in; by the way she was complaining, apparently against her will.

"Can you tell me what the hell is going on here?" The undercover agent asked and much like Regina's still was, her arm was twisted to her back as a way to restrain her.

"That's exactly what we are about to find out. Regina here is telling me you are trying to work Mal so that you can have her tell you the things _you know_… I want to know. Is that right?"

At the question, Emma frowned and Regina was going to give it to her, she never gave the impression of being distressed.

"I may have tried to get her to talk, yeah, on your behalf of course. You were working this one so I thought I could get that other bitch."

Cruella was on Emma's face in a matter of nothing. "I smell fucking lies! Are you working with Gold? You thought you could steal this one out of me right in front of my face."

And there it was; Emma was officially Cruella's problem. If she was lucky, those two would destroy each other and leave her alone so that her plans of escaping that prison could be carried out in peace.

That was what she hoped for… the best-case scenario, but because destiny seemed adamant on tearing her a new one everyone in a while, that was not how it played out.

"Someone get the rope and tie it around her neck, we are going to have an execution in here."

"What?" Regina meant to say, but the one to voice it was Emma. "You can't be serious… I'm not working with Gold…"

Too shocked to react, Regina just blinked, one time and then two times, and it wasn't until she watched Emma fighting those who were trying to put the rope around her neck that she came back to her senses.

"What the fuck Cruella? You can't do that." And really. She gathered that in less than five minutes, the guards would storm in and end such a circus, so why even bother?

Besides, she hadn't exactly planned for Emma to be killed… let alone in front of her eyes. Yes, she wanted them to destroy each other but this… it was too much.

"Shut up, because if you don't tell me what I need to know, you will be next; so start singing little bird…"

And yes, this is why she was the designer of her own catastrophe. She put on this silly plan so she wouldn't have to get her hands dirty and well… it looked like that was exactly what was about to happen.

Sighing, Regina moved her eyes to Emma and to the way the noose closed around her neck. She wasn't sure how and when, but Cruella's friends had thrown the other end of the rope over the wall that dived the showers from the toilets and they were pulling hard at it, making Emma lift from the ground almost completely.

And shit, closing her eyes in the middle of such chaos, she used the elbow of her free arm to hit the woman who has been holding her still.

Maybe it was the element of surprise or maybe just the fact that she put all her strength into it, but the thing was that with a choked gasp, the woman loosened her grip so that she was able to escape.

All of what happened next happened too fast. She may have hit Cruella square on her jaw and she was sure she received a sharp jab against her ribs, but things only started to clearer when she was grabbing Emma and pulling down on her.

Her intention? Making her feet touch the ground.

It was hard though and she struggled a little with that, because every time she yanked on the woman, at the other side someone would pull harder… and then there was the way Cruella jumped on her to prevent what she was doing and yeah, things got messy.

They brawled, no holds barred, but only for a short while because like she knew it would happen, the guards came in and she was roughly grabbed from behind.

She only had time to quickly catch a glimpse of Robin kneeling down besides Emma to check on her and also, of Scarlett dragging Cruella in the opposite direction.

"You've really outdone yourself this time, Mills… really." The guard who was forcefully restraining her and pushing her through the corridors barked in her ear and she actually did a double take.

"Me? Are you fucking kidding me?" She spat, planting her feet firm in the floor because hell no she was not going to have this asshole talk to her as if she has been the one trying to lynch Emma Swan in the showers.

"Keep walking or I'll drag you, don't test me."

Furrowing her brows, Regina snarled her lips, her legs refusing to move. "Fuck you, asshole."

Letting out a dry chuckle, the guard who she recognized as Cassidy lifted her off the floor easily and started to move. "You are really a gem, aren't you?"

Regina fought him, hard… enough to make him tighten his hold and cuss at her. She did it just because… yeah, maybe it was her fault things turned out so badly, but she has actually tried to do the right thing at the end and this was her reward?

"Really? You want it rough… alright." He hissed when she at one point elbowed him.

Later, when she was finally put down and no, not in the most pleasant way, she was abruptly surprised when she was hit with a sudden spray of water.

The impact was sharp as a hundred needles getting incrusted all over her skin and cold as ice itself, and it actually took her a few seconds before she realized she was being hosed down.

That right there made her gasp and close her eyes, her face turning sideways not to get affected. It was actually an awful thing to do to a person, inmate or not, but she refused to open her mouth to ask him to stop.

He wouldn't, she knew… besides, she could take it… this was not the first time they did this to her, as the sobering experience was one she lived once before.

"That's enough, Neal."

Listening to the familiar voice and yes, that accent that was constantly invading all of her senses, Regina's posture became rigid as the spray of water died down.

She didn't look at him or at Neal though, and instead put all of her effort not to tremble with the force of her cold as she stared intently at the wall.

It was hard… and she obviously ended up shaking all over.

"She's all yours, man."

Biting hard into the inside of her cheek, the brunette saw out of the corner of her eye the way the man walked towards her and well, she couldn't help but to feel a weird sense of uncertainty settle deep within her being now that _he_ was near.

It happened every time she would see him walking through the corridors or making guard in a corner…It was an anxiety that would take residence in her stomach, an uncertainty that gnawed viciously at her bones and to a certain point it was a confusion that would invade her brain at any given hour.

Needless to say, right in that moment, his sole presence came to be an unwanted force that was preventing her from thinking straight.

"You alright?"

Unable to help it, Regina moved her eyes to him. What kind of a question was that? Still, she clenched her jaw and wrinkled her nose to answer him as calmed as she could.

"Never been better. Doesn't it show?"

Now, she has meant to say that in the most detached manner possible, but the cold and the way those piercing eyes of his were digging into her own eyes made her voice come out pathetically weak. So much that for a moment she thought his eyes showed a bit of empathy.

That right there made her look away; because she was still unsure about what to think of him, of what he said to her the last time they talked and about what was it that she felt for him.

"Can I go now or will you let me freeze to death here?"

As if taken out of a trance, Robin shook his head and ran a hand down his jaw; then, he started to take off his jacket. "I'm afraid I have to take you into solitary."

She scoffed, still trembling. "Of course. And you'll make me go there in these wet clothes and then make me spend an entire week there for doing nothing. Typical."

"Regina…" He started to say, he even reached for her…

"Don't." She hissed, lifting a hand and taking a step back and as a response, his face fell. "Just don't."

Now, seeing the way he dropped his eyes and bit into his lips made her want to reach for him and apologize… but she didn't…

She was too confused… too mad to allow herself to do that. Besides, what was the point? If things went as planned, she was going to be out of there soon and Robin would become a distant memory of something that simply went terribly wrong.

"At least take this until I get you a change of clothes." He handed her his jacket and eyeing him suspiciously, she took it. Then, without exchanging any other word, he took her into solitary.

He left her there, so she took off her wet clothes and covered with his jacket. By the time he came back, she was also wrapped with the thin blanket of the bed.

"Here." He said, and instead of putting the uniform by her bed and just leaving, he sat in a corner of the mattress and ran his fingers through his hair.

It was like a déjà vu moment… and for almost a whole minute, all she could do was stare at his profile.

Who knew? Maybe this was going to be the last time she was going to be able to look at him from such a short distance and she wanted to drink into the moment, maybe memorize his features, the exact color of his hair and how he always clenched his jaw when in deep in thought.

"What was that back there?" He asked at last, his voice a raspy whisper breaking the silence.

"You mean your friend hosing me down as if I was an animal?"

"Not… that, that's something I'll discuss with Neal. I meant at the showers; Emma told me."

Humming, her eyes rolled. "So she's not dead. Bummer."

Robin watched her intently, as if trying to figure her out. "She's not. Apparently thanks to you."

Twisting her lips, Regina rolled her eyes once more and out of things to do, she slid her hands into the pockets of Robin's jacket. "Well… I didn't want you to bury your girlfriend. Funerals are not necessarily the most fun things to do so yeah, you're welcome."

"We still arguing about that? Emma is not my girlfriend. I've never been interested in her and I'm pretty sure the sentiment is mutual."

"Yeah, so you say."

"God, you're unbelievable."

"Among many other things." Regina added, her eyebrows shooting up and her fingers closing around something plastic that felt too familiar and that has been in Robin's pocket.

Out of instinct she took it out, part of her knowing what it was; but then when she saw it, she felt something inside of her tug at her heart.

It was a small bag of skittles, resting right on her open palm as she stared at it.

"Well…" Robin cleared his throat. "I've been meaning to give you those for a while now..."

Lifting her chin so that she could look at him, the brown-eyed woman parted her lips and blew out a breath, her eyes on his and his on hers, but not wanting to get caught up again in this, she scoffed and shook her head.

"Me? Are you sure, or is this something you give around to see who is stupid enough to fall for your good looks?"

He groaned. "Okay just stop, really."

Wanting to have the last word, she shrugged. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Why didn't you tell De Vil Emma is an undercover agent?" He asked, not minding her attitude.

"I'm not a snitch."

"Really? Is that it?"

Wrinkling her nose, Regina rolled her eyes. "Yes. Now, if we are done with the questions, can I go? If not, can you leave me alone already?"

Blowing out a breath, Robin looked away and got to his feet. He did it without saying a word, and before he could get too far, her instinct kicked in and she lifted to her knees, grabbing his elbow and making him turn to her.

"Wait…" She began to say, but Robin didn't give her a chance to go on and just kissed her, lowering his hands to her waist as soon as her lips were secure against his, pulling her closer that way.

Now, Regina wasn't sure if that was what she has wanted to do, but as soon as she felt his tongue brushing against her, her lips parted to grant him access and as she was apparently doomed to repeat, she kissed him back; her annoyance on hold as her own hands went up into his hair.

Sighing, she pressed to him, drinking on sensation. His tongue felt warm as it swirled against hers and she could faintly detect a hint of coffee on him. It felt good, he felt good.

They kissed for a while, long and deep until she was sure the taste of him was going to be forever in her mouth and until her lungs felt about to explode; after that they kissed even more, his breath becoming hers while their tongues dueled slowly, exploring one another while his hands ventured a little lower so he could press her even more into him.

Then, when his hands were venturing right where his jacket ended right over her ass, he pulled away.

Licking her lips, Regina kept her eyes closed, lowering her head as she tried to decipher what just happened.

"There, are you still going to stand there and deny this is real?"

Opening her eyes and facing him, the brunette swallowed on dry. "Robin… just… don't do this."

Not now that she was so close of getting out and also so close to being completely attached to him…. She couldn't do it…

"Look at me." He said. He was still holding her to him and his hands lowered even more, resting over her ass before crushing her completely to him.

But she was not having any of that. She wasn't ready to look him in the eye so instead, she went back to kissing him.

He easily got into returning the kiss, taking control of it and even grabbing her so that he could press her to the bed, pinning her body with his and claiming all her senses by the feelings provoked.

He stripped her off his jacket, and his hands were now running down her sides, moving lower and lower through her body until they reached her hips and then back to her ribcage.

Feeling feverish, no longer cold and wanting to feel even more of him, Regina wrapped an arm to his neck and pushed into him, and as she did that she felt the unmistakable feeling of his erection pressing to her thigh.

Letting out a soft moan into his mouth, she felt her entire body tremble. But as all good things, the kiss came to an end when he broke the contact once again.

Breathless and flushed, she looked at him. It was then when realization hit her. She wanted him… and she couldn't have him.

"Robin." She meant to tell him that they should stop, but he was using one of his hands to make his pants come undone and yes, instead of standing strong against him, she helped him, pushing them down his hips and out of the way.

When he entered her, she felt her entire world spin around her and the burning sensation that took over her entire being was simply overwhelming.

It felt amazing, the way his body rocked against her and into her as he swallowed her moans with his kiss… it was intense, her hands reaching for him, grabbing him as if she was desperate for more,; desperate to touch him all over and to tell him how good he felt inside of her; but as he moved within her all she could do was kiss him back and push against him, wanting to take all of him.

As what to be expected, it didn't take long for her body to succumb to him and as his thrusts kept going strong, her release washed over her, making her trash underneath him.

As she rode the delicious wave she felt him tremble against her and she assumed he was close as well; with that in mind she tightened her legs around him and pushed him deeper until he broke from the kiss and with his eyes fixed onto hers he pressed his forehead against to hers.

"I'm going to pull out." He breathed out and fixing her eyes on his darkened ones, she shook her head.

"No."

"Shit Regina… I can't."

Opening her mouth because yes, a correctional officer having unprotected sex with an inmate was shaky ground as she could easily go and accuse him of many things… but that wasn't her plan, she just wanted to feel him, to hold him as he reached his peak inside of her even if it was this once. "I want to feel you, I want you to come in me."

"Shit… oh." He growled low in his throat and with a hard thrust, he gave in.

She felt him, his body tensing as he flooded her with his essence… she felt all of him at once, her eyes fixed on him. His lips parted and his breathing ragged made her want to hold him forever, but because she couldn't she just watched him.

Once the momentum dwindled down, her fingers ran through his hair and her head pushed forward to give a slight bite to his lower lip, pulling it into her mouth so that her tongue could run over it.

"Regina…" He began to say but before he could finish she pressed her lips against his.

"Don't say anything."

He didn't, they however kissed long and deep. For a while that's all they did, but then he helped her clean up and with the promise that they needed to have a real talk on his next shift, he let her go.

They were not going to have that talk. That was what Regina was thinking when Mal found her at the library, sitting over the desk and staring at the pile of books scattered all over the floor.

"Is it time already?" Her friend asked and without looking at her, Regina nodded.

"Good, I couldn't stand a minute longer in here; would you do the honors?"

Blinking and finally looking at Mal, Regina breathed in, her hand reaching for the set of matchs the woman was holding in her hand.

"Yes."

"Nervous?"

Regina thought of Robin, wondering what he was doing and wishing she could see him one last time… but there was no time for that so lighting one of the matches, she shrugged. "No, not nervous." With that said, she grabbed one of the books and lighted it up.

Snorting, Mal started to do the same, and when the pile of books began to burn, they walked out of the library and got ready for what was about to come…


	14. Chapter 14

Robin knew he was going to fuck things up the moment he walked into Neal hosing Regina down.

Yes, as soon as he saw what was happening, he just knew that one way or another, he was going to dig himself deeper into the hole he already made for himself.

He sensed it in his gut, he felt the knowledge swept into his brain and hell, he even saw it coming.

It was as if a collage of images started dancing in front of his eyes and among the many scenarios on display, he clearly visualized himself punching the man square on his jaw.

In his mind, that happened right before grabbing a very wet and vulnerable Regina to get her out of there, far from any harm and as soon as he saw himself doing such a thing, he also imagined how easy it would be for him to take her far away from all the chaos that seemed to follow her around.

True, that right there would be such a silly way to mess things up, he knew it, but for a wild second he made peace with the repercussions that his actions would provoke and he was ready for it. To lose his job, to end up in jail himself and yeah, losing a friendship that went back years…

Fortunately, he didn't do any that; he wrestled against that innate feeling of wanting to protect the woman and for a little while he managed to act composed and to a certain degree, professional.

During that short amount of time he has been more or less able to keep respecting her wishes of not pushing too hard and of that he was proud.

Why? Because it was for the best. After all, no matter what it was that he felt for her, the fact remained that she was an inmate and he a correctional officer so she was definitely something he needed to forget.

He couldn't keep pinning after her, so the best thing for him to do was to leave her alone.

It was what he has been doing since they fell apart anyway so yeah, he was determined to carry on.

But somehow, someway, his premonition of him cocking things up became a reality and he just… well, he simply slipped on dry.

He wasn't sure how the hell he let it happen; how he went as far as having sex with her, _in_ solitary of all places… and during one of his bloody shifts. But he did, and not only did his resolution of staying away from the woman crumbled into a big pile of dust, but he also got carried away into getting off inside of her.

Yes, he irresponsibly didn't pull out when he should have and damn everything straight to hell, because that felt too good to regret.

He wouldn't know how to explain the feeling as sex was definitely something he rarely did bareback and even less spilling inside, but with Regina it felt as such an intimate thing to share that went beyond all sexual aspect so when she gave him the green light, he just went for it.

Now, ever since it happened, he hasn't been able to think of anything else but her.

What could he say? Regina was like a magnet to him and he obviously couldn't stay away. They way her warm chocolate eyes would dig into his stare, her skin, how she smelled… how she felt opening up for him… her legs spread to give way to him and her heat receiving all he had to give.

She was simply becoming a very dangerous vice and he didn't know what to do anymore.

He got more than his fix that day and in the aftermath of the experience, he didn't know what to do.

He knew she wasn't someone he should pursue but still, all he wanted in that moment was to go back to prison and find a way to talk to her… to see her.

Shit… it hasn't even been a day and every fiber of his being already longed for her.

That's how he knew he was screwed…

Dragging a hand down his face, the correctional officer blew out a breath, his mind taking a journey out of his body so that he could keep going in circles around what was happening with him.

It was as he thought about that when he was startled with the sound of a distant horn drilling into his brain.

The sudden blare shook him, disconcerted him and yes, why not admit it? It definitely made his body jerk abruptly into his seat as his thoughts slowly retuned to his body.

Now, going back into full alert mode was gradual, his body sat up straight as his hands automatically curled around the steering wheel of his car; but still, for a couple of seconds he remained disoriented… lost, the notions of time and space all distorted in his mind.

It wasn't until a few rays of light hit him full force in the face that an idea of what was going on and why he ended up spacing out in his car started to settle in.

He was parked in front of the hospital… yes, after realizing that staying home thinking about Regina was not an option, Robin drove there, his intention clearing up his mind by paying a short visit to the woman who started it all. Emma Swan.

Well, to be fair, the woman wasn't exactly the whole reason why he ended up there but yes, she played a big part in the whole thing.

Actually, she played a huge part, because if it wasn't because of what she told him about the brunette that has come to invade his psyche in each and every one of his waking hours, he wouldn't have ended up there.

It was simple, as the FBI agent was being taken out of prison so that she could be treated accordingly, she told him something… a simple little thing that at first didn't quite register for him, but that then made his mind swirl around it over and over again until it made him wonder…

And now he was there, ready to get some answers.

With that in mind, he finally climbed out of his car and with the calm of those who lived without hurries, he walked into the building, ignoring the bitter memories hospitals always evoked in him and simply making his way to Swan's room.

When he got there, he almost swirled around and walked back the same way he came in though, because as it happened, the blonde wasn't alone and he didn't want to interrupt.

"I told you already so don't be a pain in my ass." Emma groaned in her usual annoyed tone and Robin almost cringed.

No, she wasn't alone, and judging by the way she was hissing bitterly, he was going to guess she was in the middle of a heated argument.

"And you stop being such a whinny little brat and eat this up."

As soon as the man who was with the Federal Agent said the words, Emma's head tilted up and her eyes immediately fell on Robin. It made him freeze on the spot and his plan of escape got canceled.

"Locksley? What the hell are you doing here?" She said, her voice nothing but a raspy whisper.

Forcing what he hoped was an amicable smile on his face, Robin nodded slightly as he bit hard into the inside of his cheek.

"Hey. I just came to check how you were doing, I'll drop by later on though."

"No, no, no… stay and see if you can get this one off my back already. Tell him that what happened back there wasn't so bad."

The man, who has been sitting by Swan's bed got to his feet and walked his way, determined; but there was no threat in the approach so Robin just watched.

"August Booth, this hot-head's partner; at least when she's not playing at Orange Is the New Black." He said, ignoring the blonde.

"Robin Locksley, I'm a CO at the prison." The blue-eyed man responded, shaking hands with Emma's partner.

"So you're the one who has been dealing with this one, uh?" He chuckled, shaking his head as his eyes shone bright. "I don't know why but I feel like I should apologize on her behalf. I know she can get a little… intense."

"Seriously?"

Drawing in a deep breath, Robin observed the way Swan rolled her eyes as she pushed away the Jell-O her partner has been apparently trying to make her eat.

"Intense is a good way to describe it, yeah."

"I figured. So, tell me how it was that she ended up here, because she swears that nasty mark all around her neck and that sudden raspy tone is nothing."

Not one to sugarcoat things, Robin twisted his lips and arched an eyebrow. "She almost got lynched at the showers. A few more minutes and she wouldn't be sitting there rolling her eyes at us."

"See?" Scoffing in a very unamused way, August turned to Emma and threw his hands in the air. "I knew it, you think you are the only one who can spot a lie?"

Groaning almost petulantly, she closed her eyes. "It was nothing, I'm alive, am I not? I've had worse things happening to me and you know it."

"Bullshit, Emma. I think almost being lynched in the showers of a prison tops it all. I told you not to push too hard, but do you ever listen to me?

"I'll come back later." Robin interrupted awkwardly, but before he could go, August waved him off.

"No man, don't mind us. This is the only way we operate; but just because she never listens. Anyway, I'll leave you two alone so you can talk. Now you…" Before finishing the sentence, he shot Emma a look that to Robin screamed more than partners and then he was gone.

"He's an ass… no more than you though. So what is it? Because I know why didn't come to chit-chat."

Lifting a hand to the back of his neck and scratching furiously on the spot, Robin walked closer and siting in the chair August just vacated, he tried to formulate a way to ask what he wanted to ask.

It didn't flow naturally so he tried to soften things a little first.

"I didn't. But first of all, are you feeling better?" And really, he wanted to know.

Pain in the ass or not, when he and his team busted into those showers, the woman was half dead… and apparently she would have been way before that if it wasn't because of Regina… at least judging by what she told them.

Shrugging and scrunching her nose, the woman looked at him. "I'm alive. God knows I shouldn't be but here I am."

Seeing her words as his window of opportunity, Robin cleared his throat and decided to keep easing his way to where he wanted to get. "So what the hell happened there?"

"Ah," She started to say. "I guess it was just what August said. I pushed too hard and got burned. But fuck, Locksley. I was so close to some vital info and now this. It just… pisses me off. And okay, I know I get carried away and that most often than not I do shitty things that make me deserve being hanged… but if you only knew what it would mean to get Gold behind bars you would get it."

Nodding because he has seen firsthand how hard the woman pushed but also what Gold was capable of doing, he kind of understood.

"Info on Gold?"

"Yes… but now I lost that source so I'm back at fucking zero."

As Emma confessed to that, Robin's mind went to the infamous pen drive he had in his apartment and all the times Emma has told him that was the missing piece in all of this puzzle.

What if she was right? What if by giving away the pen drive to her, he could get Regina out of jail and also eliminate the menace Gold represented?

That would be ideal, like killing two birds with just one stone so this was something he needed to seriously discuss with Regina.

"I need to get back into that prison, Robin. Something big is cooking up in there and I can't sit it down."

And there, right where he wanted to get, he thought… the perfect opportunity to dig into what she mentioned back when she was being taken away.

"That's what you meant when you said Mill's time was running out?"

Sighing out loud, Emma closed her eyes for a few seconds. "Mills… I hate to admit this but I owe a big one to that bitch. Listen… I don't have all the info yet, but I have sources and they all point out that Gold is not too happy about his men not being able to eliminate Regina and he feels this calls for immediate action. Cruella is probably not the only one working for him and I can't let whoever he has inside get to her before I find out what is it that she knows or what she has on him."

"So you think she's in danger?"

"She has always been and she will always be, as long as Gold is out there, Regina has a price on her head. As awful as you think I was to her, I'm her best bet to walk out of this unscratched… okay, not completely unscratched but yeah, you get it..."

Knowing that Regina was never going to confide what she knew to the woman and unsure if he was back on her good side just yet, Robin shifted on the chair.

Maybe if Emma tried another approach… "If you want her to talk, why don't you…" Before he could go on, his phone started to ring and looking down at it, he noticed it was Mary Margaret. "Sorry, I need to take this." Motioning the woman to give him a second, Robin answered the call. "Locksley speaking."

"Robin, I know you are off duty but I need you here as soon as possible. We have a situation."

Narrowing his eyes, Robin looked at Emma, who returned the stare in the same fashion.

For some reason, what his boss just said tingled all his senses on alert so he put the call on speaker, wanting for Emma to listen to whatever was happening.

"What kind of situation?"

"It's a damn mess. The library caught on fire and it's spreading to other parts of the building. There's a lot of unrest among the inmates and well, we will probably have to evacuate them so I need you all here."

"Shit, shit…" Emma began to mumble while climbing out of bed.

As she did that, Robin heard the rest of the details before telling Mary Margaret that he was going to be there as soon as he could.

He said that in automatic, his mind swirling around one thing and one thing only; that the library was where Regina was assigned to work… shit.

Hanging up, he immediately got to his feet, his intention rushing back to the prison.

"I'm going with you." Emma said as she got dressed. She did it quickly, and just when they were about to walk out the door, August walked in.

"Where the hell do you think you are going, Swan?"

"Prison. It's on fire and I bet on anything that this is on Gold. If he has the building evacuated, he'll have access to Mills and you know what will happen."

"But… you can't leave, you haven't been cleared out yet."

Rolling her eyes, the blonde grabbed the man's face and planted a kiss on his mouth, shutting any complain with the smooch.

"Then be a darling and do that for me, okay?"

Instead of quickly replying with words, August grabbed the back of her head in the same fashion and kissed her back. The scene made Robin sigh out loud in exasperation because he couldn't be wasting so much time watching those two kiss.

"So all it took for you to finally kiss me was a hanging? Okay… I can roll with that.

"You know I need to be there. I've worked too hard on this one to let it slip through my fingers like this."

"Yeah I know. Oh, but Swan, if you get killed this time-"

"Yeah, I know, you'll kill me."

Turning around as they kissed yet again, this time longer and probably deeper, Robin started to walk to the elevator. Emma caught up with him there after a short while and all the way to the car she chatted about how Gold was behind this and all the ways he could get to Regina.

Robin barely listened, as his mind was somewhere else.

After all, the prison was on fire and Regina was in there…

Accelerating his car, Robin chewed on his lips, feeling antsy as hell, the sensation that something was about to go terribly wrong gnawing on his guts and making his apprehension soar.

Once at the prison, the feeling only increased as the first person he identified in the small multitude of firefighters and rescue team settled outside was none other than Gold himself.

Sure, he has never seen the man live and in color but he has seen him on TV and numerous photos and that was definitely him.

Why he was there, he wasn't sure but there he was, resting against a cane and watching with a bored expression the numerous buses pulling in front of the prison.

"Did you see that? Fucking shit I need to call on my team right now."

With that said, Emma disappeared and Robin, curious and pissed as hell, walked closer to the man that wanted Regina dead and yeah, closer to the bloody bastard that almost got him killed in the crossed fire…

He didn't get too close though. In fact, he stopped on dry all of a sudden when he was halfway through.

It came into his mind that he couldn't just go to him and beat the hell out of the man so instead, he turned around and made it inside, the smell of smoke and fire hitting him hard.

Not that he minded too much, as had one priority, and she was at the other side of the wall.

"Fill me in. How did the library caught on fire?" He asked while gearing up once he was in front of Mary Margaret.

The woman, who was watching as firefighters would come and go to the affected area shrugged as if in shock. "We're pretty much sure it was intentional."

"Anyone hurt?" Clenching his jaw and holding his breath, he looked at the woman dead in the eye, dreading the answer but needing to know.

"Not so far. We have the inmates at the backyard waiting for back-up. We can't just load them into those buses and take them away but Robin… if this fire is not controlled soon, we will need to start on our own. The smoke is getting everywhere."

Not needing to listen to much more for now, Robin nodded. All he knew was that he couldn't let Regina get in one of those buses if the vehicle wasn't escorted. But for now, he just needed to see if she was alright.

With that in mind, he turned on Mary Margaret and then he was walking out the door, his destination? The backyard.

When he made it there, it was Mulan the one he found first, watching on the inmates as they all knelt or sat on their heels, their hands to the back of their heads as the CO stood armed in front of them.

"I leave for half a day and you let someone try to burn the place to the ground?" He said, his tone as easy going as it could come but his eyes frantically searching for Regina.

He spotted her easily enough, sitting on her heels, head bowed down in a way that her hair was half hiding her face. She looked alright… in fact, it looked as she was talking to the two women around her, Mal and Ruby.

"Don't blame me on this one. Today was my day off and here I am, chocking on this hideous burning smell and trying to keep these bunch from rioting."

Moving his eyes to his co-worker, Robin squinted his eyes. "Rioting? I see them laying low."

"Yeah, because I fired a few rounds into the air and threatened to blow a few heads if they didn't quiet down. They are getting restless… and I guess they are in all their right, that's a nasty fire and it's not safe here."

Biting on his lips, his eyes returned to Regina as he tried to think on a plan to get her out safe and sound.

"Hey, pretty-boy. Are you going to let us burn in here or what?"

Recognizing the voice as that of Ursula, Robin looked at the woman. It was a passing glance though because before he could take a good look, out of the corner of his eyes he saw what it looked like a man in full riot gear step into the backyard from behind, rifle in hand as he pointed it towards the inmates.

"Nobody move!" The new comer yelled and just like that, Robin knew the man wasn't from his team.

He wasn't the first to realize because Mulan immediately pointed her own riffle at him and shot. No questions asked… and just like that, everything went to hell.

In a matter of nothing, the man fired back and no, he didn't hit Mulan or Robin who was by her side but the exchange definitely provoked the inmates to start screaming and getting to their feet in a panic.

From being in order and somehow controlled, everything became a damn chaos.

"Fucking shit, Mulan." Robin hissed, losing the man in the multitude. He also lost Regina and not liking any of that, he groaned.

It all happened way too fast. Back up was called and the other officers came in as a tumult erupted everywhere.

Grabbing his own gun, the blue-eyed man made his way into the crowd. He could see Neal and Mulan doing the same but whereas they were probably looking for the man, he was looking for Regina.

He looked and searched all around and nothing, so he looked a bit more. The other COs already had a few of the women back in control but none of those were Regina.

The man wasn't there either and no, he definitely didn't like any of that. That's why he decided to venture the same way the man came in, which was to the back of the fenced area and back through a corridor that lead into the laundry.

He did it on full alert and as fast as he could, gun drawn and one of his arms covering his nose not to inhale too much of the heavy smoke.

His visibility in there was poor, but through the dense smoke he saw the silhouette of someone moving… a woman by her small frame.

"Stop right there."

The person did, turning around with her hands in the air. But it wasn't Regina, it was Ruby Lucas and she was coughing.

"You are heading into the fire, come here." He said as calmed as he could even though he had that awful feeling eating him inside out, the one that told him something wasn't quite right there.

"I can't."

Taking a step in the inmate's direction, he meant to ask if there was someone threatening her, but before he could do such a thing, a shot was fired and a burning sensation immediately took over his entire right side.

It rocked him, made his body jerk back with the sudden impact and it wasn't until his back hit the wall and his hand went to the affected area that he realized he has been hit.

Shit… he has been shot and because he was not wearing a bulletproof vest this time, the blood started to flow immediately.

"No! No what are you doing?"

In the daze of the moment, he didn't recognize Regina's voice until she was by his side, her brows furrowed and her eyes in full distress.

"Oh my God, Robin…"

Groaning, he slid to the floor, the combination of the pain and the smoke invading his lungs a bit too much for him to bear standing.

"Are you okay? Are you…" The woman started to say as her hand went to cover his over the gunshot wound. "Can you stand? We need to get you out of here."

"Regina, we need to go."

Looking up, he saw the mystery man, rifle in hand standing through the smoke. Mal and Ruby were also there with him, looking way too pale but apparently unhurt.

It took him only three seconds to pull it all together and he laughed bitterly, defeated. "You are fucking escaping." Yes, she was… and he got bloody shot for it. "Jesus, Regina."

"Can you get up? I'll get you back into the yard, okay?" As she said that, she actually tried to make him stand up, and when the man told him they needed to go she actually yelled at him to shut up.

It was a ridiculous thing, actually, but when he tried to snort, he just chocked and ended up coughing.

Grabbing his face, Regina sucked in a breath. "Robin-"

"Go, Regina… Gold is out there and I'm sure if he gets to you, you will never make it out."

"I won't leave you here." She shook her head no, her eyes blinking rapidly. Then, before he could even blink himself, she was kissing him.

Closing his eyes and ignoring the pain taking over him, Robin kissed her back, indulging in the feeling off her soft lips on his one last time.

Then, it was him the one pulling away. "Go. You asked me not to stop you… if the time ever came, so go."

"I can't Robin." She nearly sobbed so wanting to reassure her, he kissed her again.

"I'll be fine."

"Come on." It was Mal the one who stepped forward and grabbed Regina, making her stand up.

She did, her eyes glued to his as she disappeared through the smoke.

Robin watched after her, until he could no longer see her. It was only then that he closed his eyes and allowed the pain to take over him…


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so this is a really short update but one that needed to be done in order to follow up with the chapter that's yet to come. Sorry for the delay!

She needed to breathe, to let into her system all the air she could catch in until her lungs filled with the vital oxygen they needed to keep functioning and then to slowly let it out. In and then out, inhale and exhale… just as she has been doing since the moment she screamed her way into the world.

It was easier now that she was outside, that she was not choking behind a heavy curtain of smoke and ash as she has been doing inside the prison. Out there she was supposed to be okay, outside she was supposed to breath.

But the thing was that somehow, someway, being in the open and with the fresh breeze of a cloudless night swirling all around her was not helping like at all.

No, and she knew it was probably in her head, but instead of being able to do something that was supposed to be innate in her, what she was doing was asphixtiating, her throat too constricted to properly operate.

It was as if her body was rioting against her, shutting down, and it started with her throat closing up in such a way that the air was blocked from ever reaching her lungs and then it followed with her legs refusing to move…

"Regina, we need to keep going."

Doubling over as she felt the reassuring touch of Mal on her back, Regina shook her head because no, she couldn't go on. It was as if her feet were glued to the spot and as she stood there, staring at her hands as they rested over her knees for support, she couldn't help but to feel the need to turn around and get back inside the prison to make sure Robin was okay.

It was clear as day, what she needed to do… in fact, it was now easier to understand that she shouldn't have gone out in the first place, that she should have stayed with him.

But she didn't, and as cruel reminder of that, she couldn't stop staring at the way her hands were covered by his drying blood.

It was just everywhere, covering her knuckles, between her fingers… into her nails… and as she stared in a trance at her trembling hands, the grotesque image of a dying Robin laying on a pool of his own blood started to invade her psyche.

"I need to get back there." She said at last, the simple thought of getting back to Robin easing the vicious grip of anxiety around her throat. "I need to check on him."

"What the fuck, Regina? We finally got out and you actually want to go back in?"

As background noise, she heard Ruby say, only that she didn't put any kind of attention to her because in reality, she didn't matter, none of them did… just Robin and she left him bleeding out inside a building that was on fire.

What if he was not found on time, what if he bled to death or suffocated on the dense smoke taking over the prison?

"She's right Regina, we have to go now."

"I can't, Mal-" Straightening up so that she could look at her friend eye to eye, Regina blinked the moist out of her vision away. "I can't leave him there."

"Yes, you can, and you have to."

Sucking into the chilly breeze, Regina's gaze settled back on her hands… her mind swirling and rolling this way and another. Didn't the woman get it? Robin could die in there, and if he did, it would be her fault and she wouldn't be able to get over that.

"No."

"Yes, because if you go back there you won't ever come back out. You know this."

At Mal's reasoning, the dark-haired woman pursed her lips and curling her hands into fists, she swirled around and started to walk her way back; each step getting her closer to him…

They could all go without her, she didn't care, not at all. Not when Robin ended up like he did because of her; so if she got caught in order to make sure he was alright then so be it. She was willing to take the risk.

It was that way, decided, that she chose her destiny…

At least that was until someone grabbed her upper arm and pulled at her.

"You're going the wrong way."

Blinking one time and then a second one in somewhat of a daze, Regina moved her head to the side to take a look at the man that just grabbed her and was now pulling at her, making her stumble until she had no other choice than to move with him.

It took her a few seconds to react, to comprehend what was happening, what he was doing… but when it finally downed on her, instinct prompted her to yank back hard, using all her might to break free of his hold.

It was in vain though, as the man's grip on her was unyielding.

"Let me go." She demanded through gritted teeth and when he put zero attention to her, she propelled towards him and hit him as hard as she could on the shoulder.

"Really?" He said at last, taking off his riot helmet as he turned to her. "What the hell Regina?"

Forgetting for a moment where they were and how time was running against them, the brown-eyed soon to be fugitive closed her right hand into hard fist and without thinking it too much, she threw a wild punch at him. It landed right besides his ear and by the way he cringed and cussed out loud, she was going to assume it hurt.

Good… she thought, ignoring the fact that this was a man she has one considered a friend. Maybe even more, long ago

"You fucking asshole, you shot him!"

Lifting a hand to the abused spot, the man she now knew to be Graham hissed. "The guard who was going shoot us all? Fuck yeah I did, now get in the van and stop making such a scene."

With that said, he grabbed for her again, this time pulling harder.

"No… wait…" She yelped… actually, it was more of a desperate sob, and it escaped from the deepest part of her being as she was trying to hold her ground.

But Graham was stronger and the gravel covering the back parking lot of the prison wasn't helping her maintain a good footing…

"Regina, please, we don't have much time." Mal pleaded as Graham dragged her along and she fought tooth and nails against him.

Now yes, deep in her mind she was aware that they were right and that she needed to let go and keep on with the plan… but at the same time she couldn't get off her mind the image of Robin hurt and all alone because of her.

It was stupid what she was trying to do, true… and it wasn't like she wanted to go back to him with the false illusion that they could end up being together because she was well aware that such a thing was not going to happen. He was a prison guard and she an inmate so no, even if she ended up staying in that prison, whatever it was that was going on between them was doomed to crumble into nothingness at some point; but if only she could help him get on his feet so that he could go and find help… if only she could make sure he was going to be okay.

"Come on Gina, you are going to make us all get caught so stop being so selfish. Think on Mal's daughter." Ruby added to the argument, her voice edging in desperation.

As if being thrown an icy-cold bucket of water over her head, Regina tensed and stopped fighting, her eyes automatically going to the tall blonde standing next to the van that was supposed to get then out of there. She was looking back at her expectantly, her eyes huge as plates because yes, somewhere outside the prison walls, Zelena has managed to find the woman's daughter and they were all waiting for them to get out.

The plan was perfectly laid out for the encounter to happen and then so that they could all get a new beginning far from there… but she was ruining it for the rest of them.

That right there was enough to at least make her hesitate on her intentions of going back to Robin.

But then, as her mind engaged in a hard battle of what to do, the clear clicking sound of a gun being clocked drilled into her brain and her attention was suddenly compromised elsewhere.

"Yup, Lucas is right… you sure as hell made all of you get caught so why don't you play nice and lay on the ground for me. You too big guy."

And shit…

Puffing out a breath as soon as she recognized the voice and then saw none other than Emma Swan standing several feet from where she was and with a gun pointed at them, Regina closed her eyes momentarily… trying to think fast…

"You're a fucking cop?" Ruby spat.

"Yeah, I know, surprise surprise uh?"

Somewhere behind her, Regina heard Mal make a strangle whimper, the sound coming off between a sob and a chuckle and she could just imagine all the thoughts going through her mind; especially after the hell Swan put them all through so that she could get her precious info.

"Now get down before I shot you all."

"Nah, why don't _you_ put the gun down before I blow your head off, I like that ever better…"

Opening her eyes wide and with her heart beating frantically inside her chest, Regina watched as both Graham and Emma were aiming at each other, neither one giving an inch.

It felt surreal… a scene from a shitty movie where everything went from bad to worse. She wasn't sure of what to do or even think so once again, she remained frozen in her spot.

Everything that happened from then on went by as if in slow motion; she could hear everyone's back and forth banter but she didn't know what they were saying, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Mal and Ruby getting down to their knees, hands in the air as they motioned for her to do the same, but the reality of it all was all distorted in her eyes.

It was all a jumble of images swirling in her mind; the shock in Robin's eyes as he realized he has been hit, her sister waiting for news of this escape plan… the menace of Gold always lurking around, and now Emma ruining it all.

"Get down on the ground, Mills, I'm not playing any games here." Emma said without even looking at her, she was focused purely on Graham.

"She's not doing anything you say."

"Robin is hurt… send him help and I'll do whatever you want."

"The hell you are." Graham hissed, but Regina was intently weighting Emma's reaction, from the way her eyes flickered to the way her jaw clenched hard.

"Send him help and let them go… and I'll give you want you want, Gold."

Clutching hard at her gun, Emma shook her head and pursed her lips almost angrily, her eyes narrowing as if she was trying to focus on her target, which at the moment seemed to be Graham.

The look on the Federal Agent's face was intense, unyielding, so without blinking and holding her breath, Regina waited for the worse to happen. She was going to shot, and since Graham took off his helmet, the impact was going to end him and yes, he would definitely fall but not before firing his own round of bullets that were definitely going to hit Emma.

It was a no-win situation…

But then, groaning out loud, Swan put the gun down. "Motherfucker… ugh, I so fucking hate you. Okay, I want Gold, so what do you have to give, is it the pen-drive?"

Feeling like she was able to breathe a little better now that Emma was willing to negotiate, Regina felt the pressure crushing her chest ease some. "First make sure Robin gets help. He's bleeding out by the main corridor."

"Tell me about the pen-drive first."

"No. Robin first because trust me, he dies and you'll get nothing. He's the one who knows where it is."

Groaning again, Emma stomped her feet to the ground and cussed some more, but then she was radioing someone. Telling them about an officer down and then the distorted voices replying said they were on their way.

Listening to the exchange made Regina realize that she was shaking, that as she waited for them to reply, her whole body seemed to be overcome by a bad case of it and that her legs felt about to give in; but still, she stood her ground.

"They will get into the van now, and they will go." She told Emma firmly, and even though the blonde didn't look happy, she didn't object. "Go." She motioned Ruby and Mal, wanting to seize the chance.

"No, nobody is going anywhere without you. You are coming with us so get in, I'll handle this one." Graham said, lifting the rifle back again and aiming for Emma.

"Really, I go out of my way being nice and give those three the chance to go and Mr. Macho Man wants more? you are making me change my mind here, Mills."

Snarling her lips, Regina stepped right in between the rifle and the agent, facing Graham, her eyes hard on him. She was still fuming about the fact he shot Robin and she was not going to let him keep messing things up. "Don't be stupid and go!"

"Regina-" He started to say and for a second, she remembered the man as he has been with her before, how they have been with each other when their goal was to take Gold down, at least until the whole thing with her being arrested drove them apart…

"Just go Graham, and tell Zelena I'm sorry."

Swallowing hard down and fixing his eyes on her for a moment, he nodded. Then, he was making it into the van.

Regina just watched them, biting hard on her lips and locking eyes with Mal one last time.

"_We got him, Swan, but we need an ambulance asap, we are requesting it right now_." Came the voice from Emma's radio and despite the fact that the door to the vehicle closed and the engine turned on, Regina blew out a breath in relief.

It wasn't much, what she heard, but it was enough for her to hang on for a little while because at least he was alive and help was on the way.

"Copy that. What's his status?" The Federal Agent asked and turning around, Regina looked at her expectantly.

"He lost a lot of blood, but he's responsive… for now. Where are you?"

Twisting her lips, Emma tapped her fingers to the radio and looked at Regina. She looked at her for several seconds without answering the man who apparently was with Robin.

"You say Locksley has the pen-drive, but how do I make sure he gives it to me."

Knowing that most likely than not, Robin was not going to give the pen-drive to the woman unless she told him it was okay to do so, Regina sucked in a breath, once again thinking.

She was probably not going to see Robin in a very long time if not ever so it wasn't like she could tell him, and that was a very important detail to consider, so with that in mind she went with what she had, with what she hoped would work.

"Tell him… I said it's okay, that he was right. And if that doesn't work tell him I said thanks for the skittles."

"Skittles, really?"

"He'll get it."

Emma hummed, looking up to the skies. "I owe you one, Mills, as much as it pains me to admit it; so I'm going to give you two hours to disappear. After that I will hunt you down myself and if I get you, I'll beat the shit out of you just for annoying me so much. Now get the fuck out of here before I regret this."

With the implications of Emma's words drilling into her brain, Regina's eyes widened…

"Oh, and if you are lying about this pen-drive… I'll kill Locksley myself."

With that said, Emma turned around and left, talking on the radio and leaving her a way out of that rat hole after all.

It took her almost ten seconds to react, and she only did it because Mal opened the back door of the van and called her over.

When she finally moved, she did it by running towards the car, half expecting to get shot by her intent.

But she wasn't, she was able to move undisturbed, each step taking her finally closer to her freedom, the same one she has been trying to obtain for almost a year.

And now it was there… at reach.

Once she jumped in, Ruby closed the door behind her back and feeling the weight of everything that just happened fall on her, Regina lay flat on her back, her hands covering her face.

"You stupid fucker, you do that again and I'll kick you in the face." Mal said but differing greatly from her words, she grabbed her shoulders to lift her up.

That way, she hugged her, laughing in her ear because yes, they were finally free. As for Regina, she was sure if she should laugh along or just cry…

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Robin has been slowly drifting away into a deep slumber when the sound startled him...

It was a loud clinging noise; one that oddly resembled two tin cans banging together in the most discording kind of way, a cacophony of noise that made his sore body jump involuntarily.

Actually, more than just startling him, the sudden noise scared the hell out of him. So much that as his blue-cloudy eyes opened abruptly, one of his hands automatically darted forward, reaching for a gun in a night table that wasn't even there…

"Wake up sunshine, you have a visitor."

Recognizing the voice and suddenly remembering where he was, the former CO immediately knew he wasn't in any kind of danger so he sighed in relief, closing his eyes as his muscles relaxed and his body fell limply back into his couch.

"For Christ's sake, Neal…" Robin mumbled, his voice raw and groggy.

He meant to ask what the hell was wrong with him as well, to inquire why did he have to wake him up like that; but leaving the complaint there, he just ran a hand lazily down his face as his heartbeat slowly settled back to normal.

It took him some time, to will his pulse into slowing down, because as it happened, being woken up like that after spending all day long watching Rick Grimes battle against Negan and his Saviors, all his supposedly good friend managed to do was prompt his mind to be all over the place.

He woke up thinking of zombies and barbed wire baseball bats, so of course it took him a while to wind down.

"You back here with me? Cuz I lost you there for a second."

Humming, Robin shook his head and opened his eyes once again, unable to realize that by the time he was sure his heart wasn't going to break out of his chest, several seconds passed by.

"What do you want?" He asked at last, absentmindedly scanning his surroundings, the two pools of blue that were his eyes trying to focus in the poor lighted room he was in.

"Really? I just told you, man. There's someone here to see you."

Listening to those words, Robin blinked, one time and then two, still trying to adjust his vision. Not that it worked much, because as he stared at the flat screen of his TV, all he could see was blurry and fuzzy.

It was all a mumble of distorted images dancing in front of him, and as he stared through heavy eyelids, the only notion clear enough running through his mind was that his head was throbbing like crazy.

Yes, he had one hell of a headache, or more like the feeling that there was someone playing a slow but steady drum melody inside his head. At the moment it felt bad, but having been in that situation a few times before, he knew that it was nothing that some aspirin and a huge mug of coffee couldn't handle.

Now, if he only had some aspirin or coffee, everything would be fine.

But he didn't have any of that, no… his kitchen's cabinets were running low on supplies and of course coffee was among the first thing to go. Aspirin too, and since he never went to pick up his prescription for something stronger than Advil, he would have to deal with what he had at the moment…

Which was nothing.

Groaning and laying his head back down, the Englishman closed his eyes again and dragged the thick blanket he has been using for cover over his head, drowning out of his sight everything that wasn't pure darkness.

It felt better that way, underneath the old fabric he found some kind of comfort and because of that, he decided that he didn't want to get out of his couch.

Not if he could help it. If it was up to him, he would just lay there all day long...

He meant to do it, to go ahead and try to get some sleep. Screw everything and yeah, screw Neal. He didn't invite him over anyway so maybe he would take that as the hint to finally let him be.

"Hey man, it's the Fed… again. She's at the door so should I let her in?"

Before Robin could even respond to that, there was a knock on his door. The sound was barely perceptible over the noise of his TV blasting all around him, but he heard it just fine. It was insistent, and the unmistakable voice of Emma Swan was there to make it even more obnoxious.

"Come on Locksley, I know you're in there so open up."

Un-fucking-believable… Robin thought because really, how many times did the woman had to come by and ask him the same bloody thing?

For six weeks she has been all over him, asking her endless questions and trying to poke holes in his declarations.

Quite honestly, he was tired of it, and he was sure that what she was doing was borderline harassment.

He already said all he had to say and he also gave her what she wanted. So what did she want now?

"Doesn't she have better things to do now?"

As if to answer his question, Emma knocked again, a bit louder this time so sucking in a deep breath, Robin forced his body to finally react and sit down.

"Apparently not. Beer?"

Tilting his head up, Robin settled his eyes on Neal and on the way he was offering a bottle of beer; cold, already open and very much inviting.

It occurred to him right then that the drink was the best next thing after coffee so why not? It could help with his throbbing headache so extending a hand in his friend's direction, he grabbed for it.

It made him feel a tad bad because of his earlier thoughts of wanting the man gone. Just a little bit anyway, as he still wanted to be left alone.

"Thanks, mate."

"No problem. Anyway, look at the Fed being here this way, this will be the last time she will ever bother you, because come tomorrow, she'll be off your ass."

Robin shrugged, apathy about the whole thing overcoming him.

"Yeah… well, I'll let her in."

Reaching for the remote to lower the volume of his TV, the blue-eyed man took two long gulps of the dark beer before the silhouette of Emma Swan came to interrupt his peace.

"Holy fuck, Locksley… you look like shit."

"I don't know where Mills is." Robin cut in a bit bitterly because yeah, that was what all her questions always came around to.

Where was she? Has she tried to contact him? Did he know where the money was?

It was always the same, and his answer never varied. He didn't know jack-shit.

Doing a double take as if she wanted to make him believe his answer surprised her, the blonde Federal Agent pressed a hand to her chest and gasped in fake indignation.

"What? You think that's why I came here for?"

Blinking as he tried to go back to the last episode he remembered watching of his TV show, Robin arched an eyebrow. "I'm sure it wasn't to say hello, right?"

Emma took the liberty of walking into his living room and sitting on his couch. Robin watched her out of the corner of his eye… wondering what the hell she was doing.

"Actually… I came to see if I had to say goodbye. Heard you gave Mary Margaret your resignation letter and… well, I also heard you were going back to England. Is that right?"

"That's right." He said, hitting the play button once he got to the part where he apparently started do doze off.

"And you never told me?"

"Was I supposed to?"

Clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth, Emma turned to him. "It would have been nice, you know… since you are part of an ongoing investigation."

Scoffing, Robin bit lightly into his lips. "I'm not, actually. I gave my testimony and it was decided I had nothing to do with any of this mess."

Other than being shot, that was…

"And yet you had the pen drive."

"And yet that part was not in _your_ declaration." He said as a matter of fact because as it happened, Emma never told on him being the one who gave her the little piece of evidence that finally served to put Gold on trial.

He wasn't sure why she withheld on that part, but he had this insane theory that it was because she didn't exactly go by the book when it came to the prison mess and well, saying the truth of how she actually was able to get the infamous pen drive could cost her the case.

He was sure that was something she didn't want, because she was now known as the agent who so diligently was able to crack into Gold's shady business and any kind of bad press could hurt her credibility.

"So is she there, in England? Waiting for you with a few millions in cash?"

Throwing his head back and closing his eyes because there she started again, Robin blew out a breath, feeling more than a little fed up.

"Bloody hell woman, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't know where she is?"

His tone came out a hell of a lot exasperated, so trying to ease off his sour mood, he squeezed hard on the remote control as he tried to gain some composure.

It was hard to, because for weeks he has been doing everything in his power not to think about Regina and everything that took place the day she escaped and Emma asking her questions and pushing into that wound was just not letting him do that.

"You can tell me a thousand times, and I will still not believe you. There's just no way you don't know…"

Looking at her, the former correctional officer scrunched his nose. "Yeah, and why is that so hard to believe? You think she was all over the place letting her plans of escaping be known among the guards?"

Chuckling and sending a look towards his kitchen, place where Neal was sitting while sipping on his beer and pretending he wasn't listening, Emma lowered her voice.

"Come on, you fooled me at the prison by keeping your dirty little secret well… secret, but I think it's more than obvious now that there is something going on between you two."

For a few seconds, Robin just stared at her, his eyes narrowing as his fingers flexed around the remote. In the background, he could listen to the gruesome sounds of The Walking Dead playing all around and he took the vibes of the show to project his mood.

"Did you know… that when I was found that day at the prison, that I was in hemorrhagic shock? I almost didn't make it… I almost bled to death right there on the spot and I only sit here today because I got I don't even know how many blood transfusions. I also had to undergo surgery, I got myself a stay in the ICU and then almost a week in a hospital room and yes, I went through all of that because she had me shot before disappearing. She and company put a hole in me, in a building that was on fire so really, what part of all of that makes you believe there is something going on between us?"

Narrowing her eyes in the same manner he was doing, Emma lifted a hand and let it run down her face. "What about the part I saw her fight her so called company when she wanted to go back to you and they wouldn't let her? Or the part she told me about the pen drive just so I would call help on you? I don't know, but to me that speaks volumes."

Clenching his jaw because this was new information for him, Robin leaned back into his couch.

"That says nothing…"

"It does, because if you are sitting here today, as you pointed out earlier on, it is because she made it happen. She exchanged the pen drive to save you, and the Regina Mills I l know wouldn't just to that for anybody. So how do you explain that?"

Feeling something he hasn't quite felt in him for the past month and a half settle on his chest, Robin blinked in confusion. But then, pushing the unwanted feeling away as soon as it wanted to expand all over him, he shrugged.

"Maybe she grew a conscience? What would I know, I think that's something you'll have to ask her. If you ever find her, that is."

"Oh I will… you can be sure of that. I got Gold, true, but getting three fugitives back into the system will look good on my portfolio as well. I want to get the hunk of a guy too… the one who shot you?"

Yeah, Robin knew who Emma was talking about, and he didn't know why, but he was almost sure the agent could find those two together because really, what kind of man broke into a prison if it wasn't to get his woman out?

Yes, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made and yes, the worse his mood would become.

It was silly and completely uncalled for, but just thinking about Regina chilling somewhere in the Caribbean with the man who almost killed him made his humor turn acrid.

He just didn't like it… and he didn't like that he actually cared.

It was a stupid thing, feeling like that, but it was there, gnawing at his bone, feeding from his sour mood and growing from it…

It made him feel annoyed and more that a little cranky. Not with her, but with him. After all, he couldn't blame Regina for it, for having someone.

It has been him the one who foolishly never imagined that a woman like her would have someone outside ready to risk it all to get her out.

He should have know it… just as he should had it clear in his mind that whatever it was that they had was just a fleeting thing… something that never should have started in first place.

"I could get promoted."

"Then good luck with that." He hissed, trying to sound anything but mad. "Now let me finish my damn show in peace." With that said, Robin swallowed what was left of his beer and focused on the TV.

Emma took the hint because after a while she got to her feet, apparently ready to leave. "Spoiler alert, he blows the bridge with him on it and everyone gets nuts. Also, if I find the two of you together, I'll make sure you get charged as well."

Her comment riled him up, but he said nothing… he ignored her until she had the decency of leaving… and only when she was gone did he allow himself to blurt out an obscenity on her name.

"I don't know how you do it man, but you sure as hell like to surround yourself with the intense kind. I mean I know Mills was a spitfire but damn, this Swan is… holy fuck, she's really something. And I'm not saying that in a flattering way, you know?"

"Just stop it." Robin said before Neal could add anything to his building misery.

"No, I'm just saying… same thing I'll tell you this. Swan and the FBI have no jurisdiction in England… or anywhere outside big ol' USA. You know, in case you are planning on reuniting with certain brunette…"

"I'm not."

And no… he wasn't; even if he wanted to. Regina Mills and every single problem the woman brought into his life was something he would rather forget so no, he wasn't even going to bother. He was going back home and from there, he would get a fresh start.

A new beginning without prisoners or mafias and where being shot over a woman wasn't a possibility.

He already had the one-way ticket for it and half his things were already packed so no, there was nothing and nobody who could stop him from going there.

Not even Emma's words bouncing inside his head about how Regina has wanted to go back to him on that fateful night… no, not even that.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

There was someone watching her…

Yes, she could feel it, a sense of foreboding eating her inside out as the intense stare burned a hole through her skin, making the little hairs at the nape of her neck stand on alert and her heart skip a beat.

Actually, her whole body stood on guard the moment she felt this unseen presence; her legs ready to go on the run as her blood started to pump hard and fast into her heart, so fast that the huge surge going in even got her a little dizzy.

It was actually an alarming thing, the adrenaline taking hold of her demanding her to move right in that moment. To run without looking back, without a care of the things she was leaving behind.

Call it self-preservation if you will, but the need to just do that was strong in her.

Still, as pressing as doing that felt, the brunette fugitive known as Regina Mills did her best to stand her ground… to take a few calming breaths and ignore the cold sweat that started to run down her spine or even the ridiculous way in which her hands started to tremble.

It was the best she could do, to maintain calm… because if there was someone actually watching her and that person was there to capture her or worse, to kill her, she was already screwed.

She could run… yeah, but she doubted she could get too far.

"Shit." She mumbled under her breath because really, how could she let this happen? For almost two months she has been there, always on alert and on the lookout and the one day she relaxed into a false sense of safety, this happened…

And what was worse, it happened when she was with Mal's daughter.

If it would have been just her, she would probably be halfway into town, trying to blend with the crowd and doing her best to disappear; but no… that wasn't the case and well, running with a seven-year-old was not the ideal thing in her situation.

Closing her eyes for a second and then forcing her mind to think on what action to take, Regina swallowed on dry, her hands curling into fists.

"Lily, sweetheart-" She started to say once her eyes were back open. She did it by forcing her voice to come out low and reassuring, as the last thing she wanted was to scare the girl. "I need you to do something for me, okay? I need you to stand up and go back into the house… and tell your mom and Ruby is time to leave. Can you do that?"

"You coming with us?" Dropping the bucket of sand she has been trying to fill up, the girl asked, flashing her way a big innocent grin and yes, despite the dreadful situation and the apprehension in her stomach, Regina smiled in return.

"Not now; but if you hurry, I'll do my best to catch up soon. You think that's okay?"

Lily just nodded, her dark locks swirling with the breeze.

"Alright, so go, but don't run… just walk and don't you look back."

"Gina…" The girl started to say in confusion, her chin tilting to look at her.

"Just go." She hissed because she didn't want the girl to draw attention. Quite on the contrary, she wanted her out of sight and out of danger and the she would only achieve that was if the person watching over her didn't realize who the girl was.

If her plan worked right, as soon as Lily walked pass the small wooden gate that lead into the beach house she has been sharing with both Ruby and Mal, she could lead whoever stood watch over her far from there and that way, her three companions could disappear as they planned on doing if they ever sensed any kind of danger looming around.

Maybe it was too late for her, maybe she was not going to make it, but if anything, she would at least give the others a good head start.

With that in mind, she watched out of the corner of her eye the way Lily followed her instructions, half her attention on the girl's progress and the other half on the panorama displaying in front of her.

What could she say? As dire as the situation could feel in that moment, it was a beautiful day and she wanted to soak on it, to have permeated into her brain the way the ocean extended immensely into the horizon, how the sun beamed high in the blue sky and on the way a warm breeze that carried the soothing scents of the sea swirled all around her.

It could very much be the last time she ever got to see such a sight and she wanted her memory to do it justice… to remember it being the kind of day that usually prompted her to choose a spot along the coast to sit and think about all the things she left behind… all the people she lost.

From her parents, hundreds of miles away, to Zelena, always on the lookout for her but equally far and yes, to Robin, somewhere up north already forgetting her or worse, hating her guts.

It was silly, to have the man being a constant in her thoughts since their story was so short, but the sad reality of it all was that he was the one her mind would always go back to when she was hit by nostalgia, and even though more than a few weeks have passed by since she last got news about him, she couldn't help but to feel that emptiness in her chest take over when thinking about him…

Shaking her head to prevent her thoughts from once again go that route, Regina held her breath… focusing on the problem at hand instead. At least until she saw Lily walk into the gate

It was only then that she was able to breath, that she was able to release the tension on her shoulders.

"I know you are back there so why don't we get this over with, you asshole?" She said out loud, wondering who could it be and how they found her.

Was it one of Gold's hired men? Or did the local authorities finally tied her up as one of the fugitives the FBI was looking for?

Maybe it was the Feds on flesh and blood… Emma Swan crossing the boundaries of her agency just because she was such an annoying bitch that didn't know how to let go.

Whoever it was, he or she didn't come to play.

"Asshole? Well, good to see how some things never change, Mills."

Freezing on the spot for five full seconds, Regina felt her heart clench inside her chest, becoming so very little it could barely function and then growing back ten times its normal size.

It was literally a painful thing, one that made her cough as a way to liberate the pain taking over. But then, the five seconds turned to six and already high and alert, she turned around, her eyes huge as plates searching until she spotted him… standing a good six feet away from her.

For a little while she just watched him as he watched her, his hands in the pocket of his pants and his eyes as blue as the ocean itself settled on her.

He looked uncertain, tense… and unable to hold it a second longer, she did something that would definitely feel odd to her if it wasn't for the circumstances.

She ran… towards him, and when she was close enough she just carelessly threw herself at him, her arms going around his neck as her bare feet rose on her tiptoes.

"Oh my God… Robin." She breathed out, her face burying into the crook of his neck so that she could breathe into him and confirm that he was real, that he was not a product of her imagination playing tricks on her.

It wasn't, he was really there… even though he just stood there without even touching her.

She was barely aware of his lack of response though; actually, she was so wrapped up in her own emotion that it didn't even cross her mind that he could be there to take her back.

All she cared in that moment was that he was there, tangible, warm and yeah, that he was very much well and alive.

She was aware through Zelena of how bad he had it after being shot so having him there felt like a miracle…

Burying one of her hands into his hair and the other one settling on his back, Regina pulled a bit away so that she could look at him in the eye.

Her intention has been to ask him what was he doing there, to make him tell her how did he find her; but as soon as her eyes met his, all word was forgotten and she kissed him instead, her mouth pressing hard into his until he finally reacted by putting his hands to use by wrapping them around her.

It felt good, he felt good so as he pulled her even closer to him and even lifted her off the ground, she decided that no, that she was not going to ever let go of him again…

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

If there was a thing that Regina Mills has never been in the three decades that composed her life, it was a sentimentalist.

Sure, she has loved and she has cared deeply about people, and there was no doubt in her mind that she would give her right arm away without an ounce of hesitation, if it meant to ensure the well-being of those she considered important enough in her life, but she would be lying if she said she was what one would call affectionate.

Cold, distant… sometimes even bitchy… according to a lot of people, those were the adjectives that actually described her better.

She didn't deny it, as that was the image she has always portrayed and dwelling in that area was her comfort zone.

That was the way it has always been, and ever since she could remember, Zelena always bugged her about it. She said that the youngest of the Mills had a heart of steel and a blackened soul and in retaliation, Regina would fire back and accuse her sister of being ridiculously mawkish and what was worse, annoyingly clinging.

That has been a point of eternal fight between them, even if according to her father, both statements had a little bit of truth to them. First, because Zelena was intense in the aspect of always being all over the people she was close to and second, because Regina was a bit dry and has always struggled when it came to letting her true feelings out.

But everyone who really knew her, and yes, that included Zelena, knew that Regina didn't act like that because she didn't feel things, or because she didn't care. No, they knew, that when it came to project what was inside of her, she was a hell of a lot reserved.

She usually withheld, and she did it a lot…

But in that afternoon, with the sun shining bright in the bluest sky she has ever seen, and with the fresh ocean breeze making her hair swirl wild, she couldn't help but to have this weird sensation that her chest was going to burst if she didn't let all of what she was feeling out.

It was an overwhelming thing, the pressure in her chest wanting to rip her ribcage apart so strong she couldn't even breathe.

Still, she didn't let her emotions pour out. At least not verbally, as she was too shaken to talk; but she guessed that in a way, she was externalizing all of what she was feeling by tightening her hold on Robin so hard she was sure her arms were going to ache afterwards.

And if her arms didn't end up sore, his neck definitely would.

What could she say? For some strange reason, it was as if holding him and pressing her mouth to his wasn't quite enough. No… she needed more to reassure herself, to convince her mind that he was indeed there, that after spending two months thinking about him, he was finally real to her. It was crazy… for him to be so tangible, and the only way to make sure that she wasn't dreaming it, was to feel every fiber of what she was press so very close against him.

"Regina-" He started to say in a strangled whisper against her lips as his hands moved from her waist and up her back.

His tone was a bit serious, and at first, the brunette thought he meant to pull apart from her, that he had enough of the embrace and wanted to break it off.

But when he instead reciprocated the hold with the same intensity, all that was left for her to do was close her eyes tight shut and breath out in relief.

Sure, for all she knew, he could be there to take her back, to arrest her as the fugitive that she was and just throw her back in jail; but if that was the price to pay to feel him like this, hugging her back when he was in all his right to hate her guts, then so be it.

It was just that… ugh, she has thought of him so damn much over the past couple of months, drowning into a sea of regrets over the way she left him bleeding out so this… whatever it was that was about to happen, simply felt like a blessing.

Maybe it would end bad, who knew? But just in case, she decided to milk it for all it was worth it.

"You're here." She mumbled at last, her mouth moving to the corner of his lips so that she could press a kiss there. Then, she was back at hiding her face into the hollow of his neck.

He let her do that, his arms firm around her as she breathed into his scent.

For the longest while that was all she did, hold on as if she wanted to absorb all of his essence into her. It was only when the need to look at him was stronger than her need to feel him, that she pulled a bit away. Just enough to be able to fix her eyes into his blue stare.

"How did you find me?"

Feeling the warmness of his eyes moving all over face, Regina watched as Robin drew in a breath.

His hands were still on her, settling back down to her waist; but there was still that serious shadow on his face she recognized as him being in full CO mode.

She has seen it before, way too many times, and more often that not she saw him like this when he was about to throw her into solitary…

"Playa Conchal, Costa Rica… you told me you'd be here." He said in a low tone that gave nothing away about what he was thinking.

Now, it took Regina a couple of seconds to remember that she has indeed told him this would be her ideal spot if she ever escaped, and that when he told her she was putting him on a tight spot by telling him about it, she suggested he could join her.

That felt like ages ago, but she could clearly remember how she has held her breath, hoping for Robin to say that yes, that he would go with her.

He didn't say it, probably even dismissed her words as her talking empty dreams, but boy oh boy, she has meant all of it.

"Now I wasn't sure the invitation was real or if it still stood, but…"

Before he could even finish that sentence, Regina dragged her lips back to his mouth and kissed him, her lips molding to his in the most perfect of ways.

It came naturally, this one… so unlike that previous sloppy union of their lips that never progressed into a genuine kiss.

But this one? It was just starting, and it was already making her heart swell and beat so hard she felt it ringing in her ears.

It was as she felt like that, that tilting his head to the right and moving his hands into her hair, Robin found his way into her mouth, and just as she has dreamed it so many times since they parted ways, he stroked his tongue to hers.

He did it firmly, but at the same time so tenderly that she felt like melting, and if it wasn't because he was holding her so close, she was sure she would have done so.

If anything, that only increased her need to have him close so she kissed him deeper, stealing each and every one of his breaths to drink them as her own.

They did that for a while, kiss in the middle of the almost deserted beach, hands gripping and both their lips becoming more demanding, hungrier.

Now yes, it was good, he felt good… and finally having him there was satiating that innate need to have him close that has been bubbling deep within her for so long. It even prompted her own hands into roaming from his back to his shoulder and then up into his hair; but because there were so many things she wanted to tell him before embarking into anything else, she slowly pulled away.

It was easy, she wanted to apologize, to let him know that there was not a single day she hadn't thought about him, that there was not a moment when she didn't regret the way she left him at the prison… but when it was time for her to voice the words out, they got stuck in the back of her throat and all she could do was stare deep into his eyes.

"Well… I'm going to assume by that kiss that you don't necessarily hate seeing me here."

As he said that, a shaky snort that was born in the deepest part of her being escaped through her mouth as she slid one of her hands to his cheek. "Are you serious? I will never hate having you near… Robin."

He, on the other hand? God, he should really, really hate her.

She was after all the reason he almost died a couple of months ago. Shit… he was probably still healing…

But not wanting to ruin the moment so soon by addressing the messed up manner in which they parted ways, Regina searched for his hand and started to move from the spot they have been glued to.

"Come here."

They have been too exposed, so wanting to change that, she guided him to the place she has set a blanket and some snacks for Lily to lay down if she ever got tired of playing around.

It was a good spot to be because it was partly hidden, that was why she picked it, so it actually made it the perfect place for them to sit and have a talk without someone seeing them if they happened to walk by.

In her predicament as a fugitive, this was a very important aspect of her every day life, to lay low… which now turned to be very convenient when it came to this private one of one with Robin.

As for the man himself, if he found it odd, he didn't say it, he just followed her without protesting. That was all he did, walk by her side until she motioned him to sit down over the soft fabric covering the sand.

No words, no reproaching questions… he just stared at her as if he couldn't believe it was really her.

She recognized the look because it was the same one in her eyes.

"So are you alright?" She asked, licking her lips almost nervously.

He shrugged, his eyes narrowing a little. "I'm alive."

Yes, he was, and damn… after all of what happened, it felt surreal to have him actually be there. It was like the peak point of a movie that meant to have a happy ending… finally.

Now, she wasn't sure if that was her case, but she did know that she would never again waste a second when it came to him.

It was with that thought in mind, that she moved closer and kissed him again.

And yes, she wanted to talk instead of just kiss him, but as if his lips on her worked some sort of sorcery, she was unable to stop once she started.

"God, I missed this. You can't even imagine how much-" She whispered against his mouth, but before she could go on, he pressed her even closer against him, his tongue pushing into her mouth, stroking, swirling… everything he could ever do until she moaned in appreciation.

Victim to the circumstances she created, Regina moved from her spot and climbed on top of him, straddling him while her lips kept searching for his.

"I wanted you here since day one."

He didn't reply, but angling his face, Robin met her lips and kissed her again, his hands grabbing her face to him and his tongue parting its way into her mouth once more.

For a long while they kissed without thinking, breaths mingling together, hands roaming everywhere they could and bodies molding to one another_._

It was too much, she was aware, but after thinking him lost to her, all she wanted now was to feel him close, to kiss him until she would get dizzy.

He apparently had the same thought and in his quest to bring her nearer, his hands went underneath her dress, finding her ass immediately to grind her against him.

She found him impossibly hard against her, the rough fabric of his jeans rubbing deliciously against the wet spot between her legs. It made her gasp, and as a response, he kissed her even harder.

But then, when they were both getting a bit carried away, someone they were definitely not expecting interrupted them by clearing her throat and surprised by the intrusion, they pulled away, staring dumbly at the blonde that was pointing a gun at them.

It was a quick thing, one moment she was kissing Robin and thriving from the sensations he was provoking, and the next one, her mind was spiraling out of control.

It came like a collage of images invading her… images of Robin being followed by Gold, Emma and even Cruella to ambush her… but then, as her eyes adjusted and her mind cleared, she saw what was going on and understood.

"Fuck, Regina!" The woman almost yelled, putting the gun down. "You scared the shit out of me. Lily came running into the house, telling me you sent her to tell us to move and I almost crapped my panties. I thought they got you, and it turns out you are here making out with…"

Holding her rambling there, Mal groaned.

"You know what, I don't know what pretty boy is doing here, but you scare me or Ruby like that again and I swear I'll kick both your buts."

With that said, her fellow fugitive puffed out a breath and left.

"Shit." Regina mumbled, a mixture of embarrassment and guilt eating her inside out and making her slump against Robin.

Grabbing her face with both hands, the blue-eyed man lifted her chin up and placed one final kiss to her mouth.

"Alright, I think that was a good call to slow down…"

"Iknow." Regina responded, because it was obvious they needed to talk. But even though she said that, she closed her eyes and bumped her nose against his.

It was a simple thing, even chaste, but because he was still holding her face to him, his breath on her lips made her swallow on dry.

Opening her eyes, she smiled softly. "I can't believe you are here."

He didn't smile back. "Honestly? I can't either. This wasn't exactly on my plans. By all rights I should be on England right now… leaving this, _you_… and all of what happened buried in the past."

Now she wasn't going to lie, what he said about how she was something he wanted to leave behind stung quite a bit, but in all sense of being fair, she understood.

She has done nothing but to fuck his life, over and over again… so it wasn't really a surprise he felt that way.

"So why aren't you there?"

Twisting his mouth, Robin settled his eyes deep into hers. One of his hands was still under her dress, tracing lazy patterns on the flesh that wasn't covered by her underwear, and for some reason, that made her shiver.

"I don't know. I was going to, I even had my way one ticket back home already; but when I was about to board that plane, I just couldn't do it. I had you right here…" He said, pointing at his temple almost angrily. "All the bloody time, so even if I didn't want to… or how much I thought the last thing you wanted was to see me, I just… let the plane go. Next thing I knew I was here, looking for you."

Unable to stop herself, Regina pecked his lips, a wicked part of her feeling content that even though he didn't want to, his heart brought him to her.

Now she just needed to make him see why he should stay.

"I did want you here. God knows I would have stayed there with you just to know you were okay. These past few months all I have ever thought was about that, about how I shouldn't have left you. Jesus Robin… I am so _so_ sorry."

Closing her eyes because they were starting to water, Regina drew in a shaky breath. It calmed a little the need to cry her eyes out, but it did nothing to ease down the frantic beating of her heart.

But because she needed to talk and plead her case, she went on.

"I would take it all back, all of it, just so you wouldn't have ended up hurt."

His hand went to the back of her head, and even when he didn't say anything to what she just told him, he kissed her.

First long and deep and then moving his mouth to her jaw, his lips trailing down her neck. He gave her a few wet kisses like that, over her pulse point and she threw her head back, loving the way his tongue found all the sensitive spots of her skin.

She wanted to talk, yes, but that right there made her mind become a mess. All of a sudden, all she could concentrate in was in the air cooling every time he left one spot to find another; underneath her jaw, below her ear, down the column of her throat…

"I don't know what you are doing to me. I shouldn't be here, let alone like this. But I see you and all I want is to kiss you, to have you."

Regina hummed because the raspy tone in which he spoke did things to her, but then, as if that wasn't enough, his hand traveled its way down to the apex of her thighs so that he could brush his hand against her wetness and she was lost.

It made her gasp, especially when his index finger slipped inside the fabric of her panties to touch her more intimately.

He probed a little, her legs automatically spreading for him and yes, they shouldn't be doing that in that moment and let alone out there, but she wasn't strong enough to stop him.

He felt too good, so hot, as if his finger was molten lava. That was why she was burning, why she was melting under his touch.

"Is this okay?" He breathed out, the ball of his finger running from her dripping entrance and up to her aching clit.

"Yes…" Regina moaned, the word barely above a whisper.

She wanted him to go on, she even needed it, true, but she also wanted to do this right. It was because of that, that she pulled her next move.

"But let's go into the house. It's not that far… and we could really talk there."

Without stopping his tantalizing touch on her, Robin bit into his lips. By then, the tip of his finger was about to enter her… she could almost feel it slipping… and despite her previous words, she rocked her hips into his hand.

The movement made him go in, all the way, tearing a moan out of her.

"You sure I won't get shot in there, I mean… that would be kind of anti-climatic."

Gasping because talks about him getting shot took her into a really dark place, Regina narrowed her eyes. "Robin-"

"Yeah, I know." He pulled his hand out, his tongue clicking to the roof of his mouth. "Let's do the house thing."

Nodding and climbing off of him, Regina gathered everything up. She was for some reason shaking, so she was glad when he helped her, carrying most of the things all the way into the house she shared with Mal, her daughter and Ruby.

Luckily, they didn't find anyone as they walked in, so taking him up to her room was done without any kind of problem.

"Well… this is definitely an improvement." He said once the door was closed. He did it while looking around the spacious room. "I mean, it's better than the last place you were in."

Regina saw him do it, his eyes roaming slowly around and stopping over the balcony that faced the ocean.

"Guess it was worth almost losing my life for it."

And there it was, the bitter reproach she has been both waiting and fearing.

"You know I didn't mean for things to happen the way they did. You weren't even supposed to be there… that was the one thing I made sure of before going on with the plan."

Robin nodded, his eyes still looking out the window as he bit absentmindedly onto his lips.

"You know… I'm not sure that makes me feel any better, and it's another one of the things that keeps going around in my head. I've had a lot of time to think about everything and we were together that same morning, Regina; you knew what was going to happen and you still let me be with you like it was nothing… even made me think we fixed things; but all the while you were just planning to leave without even giving me a warning."

Her jaw clenched because yes, she blindsided him that day. But what could she say? It wasn't like he didn't know she was planning to escape.

"You knew I wanted to get out, that my life depended on it."

He blinked at her words, his right hand going up to scratch down his neck. When he was done, he let the hand fall back to his side. "You want to know why I was there? Because the moment I heard the library caught fire, I immediately thought of you. First thing to cross my mind was to get there and make sure you were okay. So yes, I knew you wanted out and that whatever we had meant nothing to you-"

"That's not true."

"-but giving me a heads up maybe would have prevented me from getting shot in your escape plan."

Sucking in a shaky breath, Regina felt her chess tighten. There was a whole sea of guilt flooding her, insides and she wasn't sure if she could keep afloat.

"You are right, and I'm sorry. You can't even imagine how much. I had Gold on my toes and I was desperate and needed out so yes, I did what I did, but don't you ever think for a second that I did it that way because I didn't care about you. I do… and I did, and that's why I didn't want you involved."

Robin shook his head, his jaw clenching, and Regina had the impression he was mentally getting ready to walk out on her.

"What I said, about taking it all back. I would do it, in an instant if that meant you wouldn't get hurt because of me."

This time, he did look at her, but just as he did when she first saw him at the beach, there was a somber expression taking over his features. "I meant what I said too, about not wanting you in my head, you know?"

Blinking slowly, she said nothing. There was nothing to say.

"I don't even know why I came here… why I dropped everything to find you. It certainly wasn't to throw things in your face because yes, I get it. I get it more than anyone, as I knew who was on your toes back in prison and trust me, I would have taken all the bullets in the world if it meant keeping you safe. But I just… I definitely didn't appreciate the gaslighting and now… I'm confused, what I know and what I feel is… they are too whole different things and now I have you here and I don't know what to do."

Walking to him and acting out of an impulse, Regina reached for his hand. "Then don't think about it… just do what you feel."

Exhaling forcefully and using his tongue to push insistently on the inside of his lips, Robin shook his head once again; but then, apparently doing as she said, he closed the short distance that separated them and kissed her.

It happened fast, one second his mouth was seeking hers and the next one he was lifting her up, his hands resting underneath her ass cupping the cheeks possessively and pressing her into him.

Regina didn't waste any time and kissed him back, her arms going around his neck to keep him close.

That way, he took her to bed, putting her down on top of the mattress and quickly following the descent of her body with his.

Meanwhile, he never stopped kissing her, his tongue rolling over hers as his hands searched for her dress to pull up.

It was only to take her clothes off that he hit pause on the kiss, and Regina took the moment to do the same, grabbing the hem of his shirt and bringing it over his head and away from his body.

Once off, his mouth was back on hers and her hands started to roam his skin like she was trying to smooth it out.

They went to the nape of his neck and then slowly started to slide down, her fingers enjoying everything, from his strong shoulders to the smoothness of his skin rippling with the movements of his muscles.

As that happened, Robin's mind went completely blank, as he decided not to give things so much though. It wasn't worth it… to keep dwelling on the past or obsessing about what could happen when he could simply live right in that moment.

He found her, after a hellish week where he was sure he lost his mind for arriving to Costa Rica on a hunch, he finally found her and she apparently has been thinking about him as much as he has been doing about her.

And what was better, there was no sign of the supposedly boyfriend that almost sent him to hell two months ago.

Taking on those little victories, Robin felt her hands clasp to the back of his neck as she pulled him down to kiss him deeper, apparently not wanting to lose that contact.

He gave her what she wanted, a deeper kiss that almost left him breathless, and the more he did that, the longest his tongue moved with hers, the more he was sure this was how it was all meant to be.

Yes, it was messed up… but it also felt so right… it made him feel alive after almost two long months where he only moved and breathed by instinct.

Now what was making him feel alive was her. He has tried not to feel it… but it was undeniable now… and what was making his blood run through his veins was _her, _this woman that has somehow interrupted the course of his life in all possible ways.

Thriving on the feeling, the former correctional officer reached behind her and unclasped the lacy bra covering the swell of her breast, figuring that this was where the encounter was headed.

She didn't seem to mind, even helped him by pulling it out of her to toss on the floor.

Once out of the way, she pulled him even closer, her breasts pressed up against his chest as the kissing continued.

She felt heavenly, more than what he remembered so without wasting the opportunity, he made his right-hand sweep over her right breast, his fingers flickering at the nipple a little bit, helping it stiffen before his thumb grazed across it, rubbing it gently in soft circles.

By then, he was hard as steel inside his jeans and the pressure was killing him. It made him feel on edge, especially when her hips would teasingly buck off the mattress so that her groin could make contact with his.

"I want you… so bad."

"Fuck Regina-" He started to say as she moaned against his mouth, her hands going to his pants so that she could begin the process of getting them off.

It was a bit of a struggle, and when the belt was off and both the zipper and the button were undone, his eyes closed tight shut, his brain trying to hold for dear life into one last vestige of coherency before he would completely fell off the edge.

There was no turning back after this, because he was sure that if he gave into it, he would never want to leave again.

"I've wanted to have you like this for so long," She said in the sultriest of tones once her hand was inside his pants, searching for him.

"Yeah?"

"Mmm yes, dreamt of it so many times… it was crazy, missing this." The desperation in her voice hit him hard.

Then, her fingers were wrapped firmly over his erection and that was it for him. Whatever trace of coherency in him vanished with that touch and all he could do was moan against her mouth.

What could he say? She was stroking him, her hand smoothly going all the way down to the base of his cock and then going up his shaft, reaching the crown of it before sliding down again.

It was so good that he let her do it for a while, his lips raining kisses down her collarbone, up her chin and just about anywhere his lips would reach.

But needing more, he pulled away and leaned up on one of his knees to completely take off the rest of his clothes. He did the same with her, sliding her panties down her legs, leaving her completely naked before him and God, she was a vision come true.

"Come here." She purred, lifting her leg up to his hip, the invitation clear.

He looked at her, saw how her eyes were hooded and filled with lust and that made him twitch in anticipation. That was how, without thinking it twice, he made his way to her, accommodating himself right between her legs.

He slipped inside her slowly, hissing at the warm way in which her velvety core gripped around him.

"Fuck… you shouldn't feel so good." He shouldn't want her so bad. And still there he was, his arms trembling as held away the need to just fuck her hard and fast.

But no, he wouldn't last too long if he did that so he took a deep breath and tried not to get too carried away by she gravelly way in which she moaned as he seated himself inside of her.

Once completely in, he kept them like that for a second, his eyes digging deep into her clouded stare.

Gone was the franticness of their lust, instead replaced with an intimacy both craved for far too long.

"Shit Robin…"

"I know."

He moved inside of her, and it was slow at first, his hips setting on a soft but steady rhythm that had him seeing starts, but then her hips rose up to meet him and their pace gradually grew until they both couldn't get enough of one another.

Regina moaned, her eyes rolling because Robin was somehow hitting all right places, every spot inside her body and that quickly had her arching her hips to meet his every thrust.

It was so good, and she let him know by gripping harder against him and kissing him almost desperately, her tongue swirling over his as her hands touched all of him that she could.

And the more they kissed, the stronger he would push into her, his cock deliciously sliding in and out of her, parting into her and like lighting, leaving a path of fire that ran into the deepest part of her existence.

She came undone like that, in a frenzy, burning on the wake of his kisses, her insides melting and her limbs turning to rubber.

She mumbled his name like that, asking him not to stop, telling him how good he felt, how bad she has missed this… him.

In response, he confessed how much he loved having her like that… how he couldn't get her off his head.

He didn't have to, shouldn't had to fight it when they could be forever like that instead… she told him…

And it was as that exchange took place, that his thrusts become erratic and Regina knew he was close too.

"I want to feel you come inside of me… please let me feel you- oh."

"Ah, Fuck..." Blowing out a breath, Robin buried his face into her neck as he reached his pinnacle.

It was breathtaking. His weight on her, his scent around her and his essence spilling warm and so deep into her.

She was so sure she loved him right in that moment, when he was all hers.

She didn't tell him though, as they still had a lot to fix, but it felt good to finally realize how deep her feelings ran… it was in a way liberating.

When it was over, he stayed inside her, resting against her comfortably.

Regina held him, her fingers trailing down the back of his neck and for a while, neither one spoke. She just stroked his hair lightly as his breath settled against her neck.

"You could stay here, you know?" She said at last and at those words, he lifted his face to look at her, the blue of his eyes as bright as she has ever seen them. "We can be together…"

"And do what, live as fugitives?"

Licking her lips, Regina moved her hand to his face. "Yeah… I think we could do just that. I mean, it's better than living in a prison and having to sneak into closets just to kiss. Or I don't know, you throwing me into solitary… after being hosed down or to keep me from getting murdered in a dirty corridor."

"Regina…"

Sensing that he was going to say no, she sucked in a breath, her thumb tracing the outline of his lips.

"You know I-"

"I know, and it's okay, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. Just… never mind what I just said."

Blinking a couple of times, he pushed a bit harder against her, probably to prevent his cock to slip out of her.

"I do want to stay… I shouldn't, and you know that… but I do want to."

"Then stay." She blurted out. "We'll make it work, and I'll-"

Not letting her finish, Robin pressed his mouth into hers, silencing whatever it was that she was going to say.

When he pulled away, he was looking so intently into her eyes that she was left breathless.

"You know I love you, right? And I can't do this, if it's just a game to you."

Gasping at such confession, Regina felt her heart do a summersault inside her chest.

"It's not a game. I… love you too. I mean, I think I do… well I'm kind of pretty sure."

He frowned, but there was a slight curve gracing his lips that almost resembled a smile.

"That… doesn't feel too convincing."

Regina snorted, her eyes closing as one of her hands went to slap her own face.

God, she was such an idiot. There he goes telling her he loved her and instead of coming clean about how she felt, she managed to fuck it up.

Opening her eyes, she sighed. "What I mean is… I do love you, and this is not a game. I want you to stay, more than anything else in this world."

Nodding, Robin lowered his eyes to her lips, his hand settling once again on her breast. Maybe she was crazy, but she could feel him stirring back to life inside of her. "Is that so?"

She just nodded and yes, by the way he rolled his hips into hers, she knew that he was back to hard in her.

"Guess that I will have to stay then." With that said, he kissed her deep, and Regina was simply lost into the promise of their future together…

-Fin-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is, thanks so much for the support for this story, it really meant a lot!


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